Alkoxylated branched alkyl alcohol emulsion compositions for fuel cell reformer start-up
OwnerRamesh Varadaraj, Paul Joseph Berlowitzinventors
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Abstract
The present invention relates to emulsion compositions for starting a reformer of a fuel cell system. In particular, the invention includes emulsion compositions comprising hydrocarbon fuel, water and alkoxylated branched alkyl alcohol surfactants for starting a reformer of a fuel cell system.
Claims23
In a fuel cell system comprising a reformer to produce a hydrogen containing gas for use in a fuel cell stack, the improvement comprising:
- feeding to the reformer, at start-up, an emulsion composition comprising,
- at least 40 wt % of hydrocarbon,
- from 30 to 60 wt % of water, and
- from 0.01 to 5 wt % of at least one alkoxylated branched alkyl alcohol surfactant
- and mixtures thereof, and represented by the formula
- R—O—(M—O)n—H
- wherein R is a branched alkyl group of 6 to 26 carbons, n is an integer from about 2 to 50, M is CH2—CH2, CH2—CH2—CH2, CH2—CH—CH3, CH2—CH2—CH2—CH2, CH2—CH—(CH3)—CH2 or mixtures thereof.
A method to prepare a bicontinuous emulsion comprising a coexisting mixture of at least 90 vol % of a water-in-hydrocarbon macro emulsion and from 1 to 10 vol % of a hydrocarbon-in-water micro emulsion the method comprising:
- mixing at mixing energy in the range of 0.15×10−5 to 0.15×10−3 kW/liter of fluid,
- at least 40 wt % of hydrocarbon,
- from 30 to 60 wt % of water, and
- from 0.01 to 5 wt % of at least one alkoxylated branched alkyl alcohol surfactant
- and mixtures thereof, represented by the formula
- R—O—(M—O)n—H
- wherein R is a branched alkyl group of 6 to 26 carbons, n is an integer from about 2 to 50, M is CH2—CH2, CH2—CH2—CH2, CH2—CH—CH3, CH2—CH2—CH2—CH2, CH2—CH—(CH3)—CH2 or mixtures thereof.
A bicontinuous emulsion comprising a coexisting mixture of at least 90 vol % of a water-in-hydrocarbon macro emulsion and from 1 to 10 vol % of a hydrocarbon-in-water micro emulsion, prepared by mixing at mixing energy in the range of 0.15×10−5 to 0.15×10−3 kW/liter of fluid
- at least 40 wt % of hydrocarbon,
- from 30 to 60 wt % of water, and
- from 0.01 to 5 wt % of at least one alkoxylated branched alkyl alcohol surfactant
- and mixtures thereof, represented by the formula
- R—O—(M—O)n—H
- wherein R is a branched alkyl group of 6 to 26 carbons, n is an integer from about 2 to 50, M is CH2—CH2, CH2—CH2—CH2, CH2—CH—CH3, CH2—CH2—CH2—CH2, CH2—CH—(CH3)—CH2 or mixtures thereof.
A method for preventing corrosion of a metal surface comprising, contacting the metal surface with an emulsion comprising:
- at least 40 wt % of hydrocarbon,
- from 30 to 60 wt % of water, and
- from 0.01 to 5 wt % of at least one alkoxylated branched alkyl alcohol surfactant
- and mixtures thereof, represented by the formula
- R—O—(M—O)n—H
- wherein R is a branched alkyl group of 6 to 26 carbons, n is an integer from about 2 to 50, M is CH2—CH2, CH2—CH2—CH2, CH2—CH—CH3, CH2—CH2—CH2—CH2, CH2—CH—(CH3)—CH2 or mixtures thereof for a time period ranging from 1 second to 3 hours, and at temperatures in the range of −20° C. to 100° C.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.