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Abstract

Fuel cell technology has experienced rapid development in recent year for both stationary and vehicle applications. PEM fuel cells hold a considerable potential for replacing conventional internal combustion energy in the transportation sector. This type of fuel cell is operated with hydrogen coming from various sources. Currently, steam reforming, partial oxidation and auto-thermal reforming of hydrocarbons are the major routes for hydrogen generation, but all these methods produce a large amount of CO as byproduct with hydrogen. As a novel alternative to those conventional technologies, methane steam reforming base on the iron redox cycle is a process which was designed to convert hydrocarbons to hydrogen with a quality that fulfills the requirements for all fuel cells types. This two-step process is operating in one single reactor without any additional post-processing of the gas as water gas shift and/or preferential oxidation. The technology is based on the cyclic reduction and oxidation of iron oxides. During the first step, the methane reduces the iron oxide to iron. On the second step steam is used as oxidant for production hydrogen. The produced gas consists of steam and CO-free hydrogen that could be supplied directly to PEMFC.