Diesel fuel processors, the largest and most expensive system in a fuel cell power plant, are decidedly not modular. Every change in power specification means a change in fuel processor design. They have at least five reactors and many more heat exchangers. They require a plethora of power consuming controls and fluid movers. Their high temperature reactions are inefficient and require expensive materials. The impurities in diesel fuel are highly corrosive to metals. The reactions form soot and the catalysts are unstable. Their product gas is only about 40% hydrogen. The selective oxidation required for carbon monoxide control cuts power plant efficiency about 5 points and degrades fuel cell life. Transient operations are slow and complex. The electrochemical autothermal reformer (EATR) is an innovative alternative to traditional diesel fuel processors. Based on a tri-layer ceramic electrochemical element, the EATR offers a solution to all the problems of the traditional diesel fuel reformer. The major obstacle to EATR development has been fabricating its layered structure. Two very promising fabrication methods and several materials have been identified to solve this problem. The EATR has the potential to revolutionize fuel processing in areas ranging from chemical processing to the automotive industry.
