In-situ measurement of the local temperature distributions for the steam reforming of a methanol micro reformer by using flexible micro temperature sensors

Advances in micro fuel cells have increased production of hydrogen for use in micro reformers. Based on fabrication of flexible micro temperature sensors using a micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) technique, this work presents a novel approach to integrating micro temperature sensors, which are embedded in a stainless steel-based micro reformer to evaluate the local temperature distributions in-situ. CuPd/CeZn is selected as a catalyst for steam reforming to improve the steam reforming of a methanol (SRM) reaction. The SRM reaction is an endothermic reaction, explaining why measurements of the flexible micro temperature sensors indicate that the local temperature is lower than the ambient temperature. Experimental results also indicate that when the micro reformer is in motion, the decline in temperature is larger in the upstream than in the midstream and downstream in a micro reformer, which is owing to that a sufficient amount of methanol is upstream.

Research highlights
► Flexible micro temperature sensors embedded into a planner micro reformer.
► Micro sensors are small; highly sensitive; flexible and in situ measurement.
► In-situ diagnosis of variations in the local temperature of a micro reformer.