NASA SBIR 2005 Solicitation

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Eltron Research Inc
4600 Nautilus Court South
Boulder ,CO 80301 - 3241
(303) 530 - 0263

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
James H. White
eltron@eltronresearch.com
4600 Nautilus Court South
Boulder, CO  80301 -3241
(303) 530 - 0263

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
This proposed Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Phase I addresses development of a compact reformer system based on a cyclic partial oxidation (POx) technology for the purpose of generating hydrogen for fuel cell systems. The need for improved reformers arises from: 1) the tendency of hydrocarbon fuels to deposit carbon on surfaces; 2) requirement of large quantities of steam; 3) a massive and voluminous fuel desulfurization stage; 4) substantial size and power consumption requirements; and 5) the lack of efficient, robust, and compact hydrogen separation technology. These issues will be addressed by employment of a fixed bed cyclic redox system utilizing a metal oxide oxygen carrier for partial oxidation of fuel. The reformer will consist of a small heated bed of sulfur tolerant partial oxidation catalyst and will operate by alternate exposure to air and vaporized fuel. Carbon deposition and steam requirements and, possibly, the need for a prereformer will be reduced or eliminated by this cyclic mode. This cyclic operation will also eliminate the need for an expensive air separation unit or for H2/N2 separation. Phase I will consist of identification of catalysts, testing under cyclic conditions with real fuel, and integration of reformer and hydrogen separation modules. On the basis of Phase I data, a prototype system will be designed, fabricated, and tested during Phase II.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
If successful, the resulting device and technology would enable improvements in hydrocarbon reforming that would impact fuel cell applications and, in particular, fuel cell systems for zero emissions and high altitude long endurance remotely operated aircraft (HALE ROA) applications. An additional potential benefit is that partial oxidation as employed in the proposed Phase I may ultimately be able to replace the fuel desulfurizer, prereformer, and steam reformer in such systems with a single compact unit.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The technology discovered herein may serve to accelerate utilization of hydrogen as a practical fuel for civilian transportation and municipal power applications. For example, use in other mobile (e.g., automotive) applications can be envisioned. Additionally, the resulting technology will find use in combustion applications such as fuel fired heating systems. Stable, active and selective catalysts discovered under this contract will be immediately applicable toward development of a compact, economic fuel processor for reformation of logistic fuels into a high purity hydrogen gas stream suitable for introduction into the anode compartment of a hydrogen/air fuel cell.

NASA's technology taxonomy has been developed by the SBIR-STTR program to disseminate awareness of proposed and awarded R/R&D in the agency. It is a listing of over 100 technologies, sorted into broad categories, of interest to NASA.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING

Energy Storage Propellant Storage