Studies on a two-staged micro-combustor for a micro-reformer integrated with a micro-evaporator

A new micro-combustor configuration for a micro fuel-cell reformer integrated with a micro-evaporator is studied experimentally and computationally. The micro-combustor as a heat source is designed for a 10–15 W micro-reformer using the steam reforming method. In order to satisfy the primary requirements for designing a micro-combustor integrated with a micro-evaporator, i.e., stable burning in a small confinement and maximum heat transfer through a wall, the present micro-combustor is a simply cylinder, which is easy to fabricate, but is two-staged (expanding downstream) to control ignition and stable burning. The aspect ratio and wall thickness of the micro-combustor substantially affect ignition and thermal characteristics. For optimized design conditions, a pre-mixed micro-flame is easily ignited in the expanded second-stage combustor, moves into the smaller first-stage combustor, and finally is stabilized therein. The measured and predicted temperature distributions across the micro-combustor walls indicate that heat generated in the micro-combustor is well transferred. Thus, the present micro-combustor configuration can be applied to practical micro-reformers integrated with a micro-evaporator for use with fuel cells.