Field Demonstration of a Compact Steam Methane Reformer at Marine Corp Base Camp Pendleton, CA
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TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM TM-NAVFAC-EXWC-PW-1501 Field Demonstration of a Compact Steam Methane Reformer at Marine Corp Base Camp Pendleton, CA October 2014 Final Report Optimizing Infrastructure for Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles (FCVs) ESTCP Project WP-200402 Version 2 October 2014 Table of Contents 1. INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................................................1 1.1 Background .................................................................................................................1 1.2 Objectives of the Demonstration ................................................................................2 1.3 Regulatory Drivers ......................................................................................................3 2. DEMONSTRATION TECHNOLOGY ...........................................................................4 2.1 Technology Description .................................................................................................4 2.2 Technology Development ..............................................................................................6 2.3 Advantages and Limitations of the Technology ............................................................7 3. PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES ...................................................................................9 3.1 Performance Objectives .................................................................................................9 3.2 Summary of Actual Performance .................................................................................10 4. SITE/PLATFORM DESCRIPTION ..............................................................................14 4.1 Test Platforms/Facilities ..............................................................................................14 4.2 Present Operations .......................................................................................................15 4.3 Site Related Permits and Regulations ..........................................................................16 5. TEST DESIGN ..............................................................................................................20 6. PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT ...............................................................................25 7. COST ASSESSMENT ...................................................................................................35 7.1 Cost Model .............................................................................................................35 7.2 Cost Analysis and Comparison ..............................................................................38 7.3 Cost Summary ........................................................................................................43 8. IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES .....................................................................................45 9. REFERENCES ..............................................................................................................49 Appendices A. Demonstration Project Points of Contact ................................................................... A-1 B. GREET Spreadsheet Tables ........................................................................................B-1 C. Air Emission Test Report ............................................................................................C-1 D. Hydrogen Quality Report ........................................................................................... D-1 E. Vehicle Efficiency Data .............................................................................................. E-1 F. Environmental Cost Analysis Methodology Spreadsheet Tables ................................ F-1 iii List of Figures 1-1 Annual Vehicle Miles Traveled Trend ....................................................................1 2-1 Hydrogen Production Process Flow Chart ...............................................................5 2-2 Off-Site Fueling Approach for Initial FCVs ............................................................8 3-1 Photograph of Emergency Responder Training ....................................................13 4-1 Project Location .....................................................................................................15 4-2 Light Vehicle Fleet Composition at MCB Camp Pendleton .................................16 5-1 Experimental Design .............................................................................................21 6-1 Hydrogen Fill and Communication Connections ..................................................25 6-2 Average Pollutant Levels in Reformer Exhaust Emissions ...................................27 6-3 Comparison of Hydrogen Fuel Sample Contaminants with the SAE J2719 .........29 6-4 Comparison of Fuel Cycle Emissions from Hydrogen FCVs with Alternatives ...34 List of Tables 2-1 Waste Generation for Reformer-Based Hydrogen Fuel Station ..............................5 2-2 Primary Design Criteria for Compact Hydrogen Fuel Processor ............................6 3-1 Performance Objectives ...........................................................................................9 5-1 Performance Confirmation Methods .....................................................................20 5-2 Hydrogen Quality Test Methods ...........................................................................22 6-1 Hydrogen Quality Testing Results ........................................................................28 6-2 Results from Safety Walk-Through Audit.............................................................32 6-3 Format for Emissions Comparison of Alternative Transportation Technologies..34 7-1 Fleet Model Assumption for Cost Analysis ..........................................................35 7-2 Hydrogen Delivery Options...................................................................................36 7-3 Scale of Alternative Fuel Technology for Cost Comparison ................................37 7-4 Fuel Economy Assumptions for Vehicles .............................................................37 7-5 Incremental Cost of Alternative Fuel Technologies ..............................................40 7-6 Cost Assumptions for Delivered Fuels ..................................................................42 7-7 Cost Assumptions for Utility Feeds.......................................................................42 iv 7-8 Summary of Life Cycle Costs for Competing Hydrogen Fueling Options ...........43 7-9 Alternative Fuel Technology Cost Comparison ....................................................44 A Demonstration Points of Contact .......................................................................... A-1 B GREET Spreadsheet Tables ...................................................................................B-1 C Air Emission Test Report .......................................................................................C-1 D Hydrogen Quality Test Report .............................................................................. D-1 E Vehicle Fuel Efficiency Data ................................................................................. E-1 F Environmental Cost Analysis Methodology Spreadsheet Tables ........................... F-1 v Acronyms and Abbreviations ASME American Society of Mechanical Engineering CH4 Methane CNG Compressed Natural Gas CO Carbon Monoxide CO2 Carbon Dioxide CSD Compression, Storage, and Dispenser DLA Defense Logistics Agency E-85 Ethanol (85%) Blend in Gasoline (15%) EA Environmental Assessment EPA Environmental Protection Agency EV Electric Vehicle FCV Fuel Cell Vehicle GREET Greenhouse Gas, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation H2 Hydrogen HC Hydrocarbons MCB Marine Corps Base NAVFAC EXWC Naval Facilities Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center NEPA National Environmental Policy Act NFPA National Fire Protection Association NOx Oxides of Nitrogen PSA Pressure Swing Adsorption SAE Society of Automotive Engineers SOx Oxides of Sulfur SWRFT Southwest Region Fleet Transportation UL Underwriters Laboratory VOC Volatile Organic Compound vi EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP) Office provided funds to demonstrate an on-site hydrogen production technology for fuel cell vehicle (FCV) applications. Hydrogen production and delivery are key barriers to FCV implementation. The production unit, a compact steam methane reformer, offers potential advantages due to the abundant supply of natural gas available through the existing pipeline infrastructure. The technology also offers a dual benefit for stationary power applications and distributed generation. Naval Facilities Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center (NAVFAC EXWC) was the principal investigator and overall coordinator for the field demonstration effort. This demonstration project field tested a compact version of a traditional steam methane reformer. The reformer is a sub-component of the larger fuel processor. The reformer’s core consists of a catalyst-filled reaction chamber and a natural gas heater. The reformer converts steam and natural gas into hydrogen, carbon dioxide (CO2), and carbon monoxide (CO). Reaction chamber is made of nickel alloy or another material resilient to high temperatures and pressures. Unlike the long tube-shaped chambers in industrial units, compact reformers have stacked plate or concentric cylinders to meet space constraints. Competing