In Phase I, a reformer which met or exceeded all performance targets was demonstrated using facility support equipment, including start-up without water and during operation minimized water requirement well below that generated by the system.  A system which contains all the necessary components for a stand-alone operation was designed and tested. In Phase II, a stand-alone prototype reactor will be designed, fabricated and tested with a commercial fuel cell stack to confirm long-term durability. Integration requirements such as control and monitoring will be addressed, a complete integrated system will be tested and requirements needed to be commercially-viable will be identified and detailed.

Subir Roychoudhury, PCI’s Director of Microlith® Product Development and Principal Investigator for the project commented, “This technology and program will allow us to reform diesel fuels without added water for mobile and remote applications such as APUs, and will support our overall fuel reformer program.  Prototype fuel reformers from other logistics fuel reforming programs have been delivered to fuel cell system developers and have under gone successful testing for over 1,000 hours with solid oxide fuel cell stacks.”  Kevin Burns , PCI’s President added, “This grant will support PCI development of diesel fuel reforming technology in sizes of interest to our current fuel cell system integration customers, now with no need for supplemental water.  This is a big advance for meeting our commercial opportunities.  It will help across PCI’s entire range of fuel reformers and our Compact Logistics Fuel Processor® systems for PEM, SOFC and molten carbonate fuel cells with commercial and military fuel cell system manufacturers.”  

Precision Combustion, Inc. (www.precision-combustion.com) is a clean energy technology company developing and manufacturing a range of catalytic devices and systems for energy sector applications. Products include RCL® ultra-low NOx catalytic combustors for gas turbines, high heat rate downhole steam generators for heavy oil production, and Microlith® compact, high efficiency catalytic reactors and systems for fuel processors, fuel cell systems, compact burners, IC engine emissions aftertreatment, chemical reactors, adsorption-based air cleaning and other applications. Customers include gas turbine, aerospace system, engine and fuel cell system manufacturers as well as the U.S. government.

The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program was established by the U.S. Government to stimulate technological innovation in small U.S. businesses, and operates through competitive solicitations.  Approximately one in eight Phase I proposals are funded for proof-of-concept R&D, with 40% - 45%  of those advancing to a Phase II for sustained development.   Small businesses that win awards in these programs keep the rights to any technology developed and are encouraged to commercialize the technology.