Onboard Syngas production using low temp catalyst

[RustyLugNut]

. . . the lack of dynamic range.

Ask me how I know. Ok, I'll tell you. I've built a few. You might be able to get it to run well at a few load points and it won't run at all at other points.

For example:

At idle, there simply isn't enough exhaust heat to reach the reaction temperature. You will need to add fuel outside of the reformer stream. There goes all your efficiency.

As you increase the power output, you get to the point the resident time in the reactor becomes limited and the reaction is incomplete. You start having to add fuel outside the reformer stream. There goes your efficiency. The reactor becomes ungainly (large) as you attempt to increase your power output.

This leaves you with some lower power level the engine will run well in but will have difficulty at anywhere else.

The MIT "Plasmatron" alleviated many of these limitations. However, erosion of the electrodes was never addressed. They simply didn't last long enough for a commercially viable product. They wanted to attempt the reformation of the water/fuel mix but felt the electrode erosion was too big a stumbling block.

[Logic]

Originally Posted by RustyLugNut

. . . the lack of dynamic range.

Ask me how I know. Ok, I'll tell you. I've built a few. You might be able to get it to run well at a few load points and it won't run at all at other points.

For example:

At idle, there simply isn't enough exhaust heat to reach the reaction temperature. You will need to add fuel outside of the reformer stream. There goes all your efficiency.

As you increase the power output, you get to the point the resident time in the reactor becomes limited and the reaction is incomplete. You start having to add fuel outside the reformer stream. There goes your efficiency. The reactor becomes ungainly (large) as you attempt to increase your power output.

This leaves you with some lower power level the engine will run well in but will have difficulty at anywhere else.

The MIT "Plasmatron" alleviated many of these limitations. However, erosion of the electrodes was never addressed. They simply didn't last long enough for a commercially viable product. They wanted to attempt the reformation of the water/fuel mix but felt the electrode erosion was too big a stumbling block.

I wouldn't even consider onboard fuel reformation if it wasn't for the constant rpm engine/genset of a Series Hybrid.

(Basically an EV with an onboard genset, or a genset in a trailer so car weight remains low, except for long trips where weight is less of an issue and the extra space welcome. )

Constant rpm GREATLY simplifies things, to the point where backward tinkerers are getting gensets to run efficiently.
(See the various better Geet reformer contraptions and disregard the "magic magnets")


My Plasmatron electrode holder would be akin to a clutch pencil.
And yes; the electrodes would likely come from a stationary shop and feed down the center of a std spark plug or 4!

I doubt the outer cylinder is a problem, especially when there's a properly orientated magnetic field keeping the hot spot momentary:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtyjfdMXC5o

That also looks like it would increase the reaction surface area/volume..?
Al-Ni-Co magnets have an operating temperature of up to 525℃, so that's a starting point.