Microplasma Reforming of Hydrocarbons

Due to advances in weapons, communication, and sensing technology aimed at the individual soldier, a major limitation for the military today is the need for compact, portable power sources. Batteries currently meet this need, but they are burdensome and production demands cannot always be met. Microplasmas (i.e., plasmas confined to microscale geometry) have potential for activating chemical reactions efficiently without the use (and inherent shortcomings) of catalysts. Microplasma environments offer electron and free radical densities 2-3 times greater than large scale plasma chemical approaches and possess high surface-to-volume ratio yielding extraordinarily low resistances to heat and mass transport. We will present an update on this project which intends to show that by using microplasmas to release hydrogen gas from hydrocarbons, a compact, portable, reusable power source fed by a readily available logistical fuel can ultimately be realized.