PCI is developing integrated fuel processors for liquid fuels for application in PEM fuel cell systems.  Building upon its ultra-compact fuel reforming and fuel reforming catalytic reactor technologies, PCI is optimizing its fuel reforming and fuel processing technologies for the size, weight and performance needed to enable shipboard fuel cell systems under multiple Navy programs.

Shipboard power requirements are critical to mission capability, especially with the increasing electrical demand of future ships. Fuel cell power generation has several attributes that address Navy needs. Improved logistics, survivability, maintenance, and stealth, as well as reduced cost, are all potential benefits arising from utilizing a distributed set of onboard fuel cell power generators. A fuel cell system will be more efficient than the currently used shipboard gas turbines and diesel IC engines. These baseline systems have a peak efficiency of just over 30% while a fuel cell system utilizing the Microlith^TM substrate based Compact Logistics Fuel Processor^TM will have an efficiency of over 40%. This efficiency improvement is a large cost and logistics train savings due to high costs of fuel delivery at sea. Since fuel cell systems have fewer moving parts, there is a reduced workload for sailors and lower maintenance costs. Fuel cell systems produce very little pollution with NOX almost eliminated and CO2 reduced by 19% as compared to baseline systems. Fuel cell systems are also quieter, smaller, and have better heat management than currently used shipboard power generation systems, providing the opportunity to reduce acoustics, infrared signatures and distributed power generation thus increasing stealth and improving ship survivability.

In addition to marine applications, the Compact Logistics Fuel Processor^TM could be applied to land-based fuel cell tactical gensets and military truck APUs from 2 kWe to 1 MW in size. The low noise and emissions characteristics would be ideal for these military applications where stealth or “silent watch” capability is crucial to survival. The fuel savings from the increased efficiency is an important benefit given the high cost of battlefield delivered fuel.  In addition, a fuel cell system utilizing the Compact Logistics Fuel Processor^TM could be applied to diesel-fueled civilian generator and commercial truck APUs.  A future application could be for aircraft APUs, both military and civilian, where the low emissions and high efficacy in a light weight and compact package of a Compact Logistics Fuel Processor^TM  fuel cell system will bring value.