An experimental study on fuel reforming waste heat recovery engine system fueled with methane

The effects of various operating parameters on a fuel reforming waste heat recovery engine system fueled with methane were experimentally investigated. Steam methane reforming was employed in the system because it is endothermic. Experiments were conducted on the parameters of methane flow rate to reformer and steam-to-carbon ratio to study their effects on the conversion of methane and resulting the overall thermal efficiency of the system. The components of the reformed gas were analyzed, and their effects on the combustion characteristics and thermal efficiency factors of a spark-ignition gas engine were discussed. The effects of engine operating parameters such as spark timing and excess air ratio on the exhaust gas heat recovery effect by fuel reforming and the improvement of system thermal efficiency were also investigated through experiments.