Diesel fuel processing for fuel cells—DESIRE

The advantages of fuel cell systems on naval surface vessels are generally based on their low emissions, high comfort and high efficiency. Today the NATO-logistic fuel for naval ships is F76 marine diesel fuel. Because of its availability and the fact that the use of hydrogen onboard ships would require a much higher storage volume, the reforming of F76 diesel fuel is essential for the implementation of fuel cell systems on naval surface vessels. The DESIRE-project has been performed from 2001 until 2004 to demonstrate the feasibility of the reforming of F76 diesel fuel into a hydrogen-rich gas suitable to be utilized in PEM-fuel cells. A steam reformer system has been realized in the project. A small PEM-fuel cell has been coupled to the reformer system and operated successfully.