Pt surface kinetics for a PrOx reactor for fuel cell feedstream processing

• Published in: Chemical engineering science Vol. 60; no. 17; pp. 4709 - 4721
• Main Authors: Bissett, Edward J., Oh, Se H., Sinkevitch, Robert M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.09.2005; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adsorption; Applied sciences; Catalysis; Catalytic reactions; Chemical engineering; Chemistry; Energy; Energy. Thermal use of fuels; Equipments for energy generation and conversion: thermal, electrical, mechanical energy, etc; Exact sciences and technology; Fuel cell; Fuel cells; Fuel processing; General and physical chemistry; Kinetics; Preferential oxidation; PrOx; Pt catalyst; Reactors; Selective CO oxidation; Theory of reactions, general kinetics. Catalysis. Nomenclature, chemical documentation, computer chemistry; Preferential oxidation; Selective CO oxidation; Kinetics; Pt catalyst; Fuel processing; PrOx; Fuel cell; Approximation; Saturation; Desorption; Modeling; Adsorption; Fuel; Oxidation; Kinetic parameter; Reactor; Catalyst
• ISSN: 0009-2509; 1873-4405
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ces.2005.02.069

Rate expressions for the oxidation of carbon monoxide and hydrogen over a Pt catalyst are achieved using a combination of surface modeling and experimental measurements. The conditions studied are those expected within a preferential oxidation (PrOx) reactor in a fuel processor for a fuel cell stack. Convenient rate expressions for subsequent reactor modeling in a companion paper are derived from a set of elementary rate expressions using the approximation of near saturation of the catalyst surface by carbon monoxide and near partial equilibrium of adsorption/desorption of carbon monoxide and hydrogen. These rate expressions require only two Arrhenius kinetic parameters and satisfactorily represent our measured rates over the nearly three orders of magnitude variation in carbon monoxide and oxygen concentrations between 80 and 200 ∘ C.