Catalytic decalin dehydrogenation/naphthalene hydrogenation pair as a hydrogen source for fuel-cell vehicle

A catalytic decalin dehydrogenation/naphthalene hydrogenation pair has been proposed as a hydrogen source for fuel-cell vehicles in the present study. In order to evolve hydrogen from decalin efficiently under mild conditions, its catalytic dehydrogenation in a liquid-film type reactor was adopted with use of carbon-supported platinum-based fine particles under reactive distillation conditions. The catalyst layer was superheated in the liquid-film state, which gave much higher hydrogen evolution rates and conversions at 210°C than those in the suspended state. Requirements concerning high-evolution rates of hydrogen or high-power densities for practical fuel-cell vehicle operations would be fulfilled enough at around 280°C. As for the storage densities of hydrogen on both weight and volume bases (7.3 wt%, 64.8 kg-H2/m3), it is to be noted that their magnitudes are higher than the storage densities (6.5 wt%, 62.0 kg-H2/m3) targeted by the Department of Energy, USA (DOE).