Technology

The core of CTP’s patented reformer technology is a multi-function membrane reactor that utilizes mixed ionic/electronic ceramic conductors. Unlike conventional methods where liberated hydrogen must then be separated from a mixture of other reformate gases, this technique generates a pure hydrogen stream in single step using a high-rate electrochemical process.

Single-Step, High-Power Design –The system effectively combines what had been a multi-step chemical reactor into one simple device that produces a highly pure stream of hydrogen. This results in systems that will cost about 1/10th as much as conventional reformers – dramatically improving the viability of hydrogen fuel cells for both portable and stationary applications.

Sulfur and Carbon Tolerance –The CTP Hydrogen system is able to directly use virtually any hydrocarbon fuel stream. This includes both renewable fuels such as ethanol and bio-diesel, and conventional fossil fuels such as propane, gasoline, and diesel / JP-8. The company has run cells for hundreds of hours on simulated diesel reformate (200 ppm H2S) and over 1,000 hours on simulated propan - both with no measurable degradation.

High Purity –Because the membrane mechanically isolates the impurities in the fuel stream from the Hydrogen stream, the output hydrogen is as pure as the water going in.  CTP's reforming systems typically generate hydrogen containing less than 2 ppm of CO, which is the detectable limit using the company’s equipment, and hydrogen sulfide concentrations are estimated to be two orders of magnitude lower than that.