Development of Low-Emission Cooking Device Based on Catalytic Hydrogen Combustion Technology

The development of a prototype of a cooking device based on catalytic hydrogen combustion (CHC) is presented in this research. CHC is the catalytic reaction between hydrogen (H 2 ) and oxygen (O 2 ), generating heat and water vapour as the only by-product. In the developed prototype, only H 2 gas is fed to the catalytic surface while air is entrained from the environment by convection (i.e., passive approach). Therefore, the convective mass transfer during the exothermic reaction between H 2 and O 2 allows a continuous H 2 /air mixture supply to the catalytic surface. In this prototype, 30 g of Pt/Al 2 O 3 (0.5 wt% Pt) catalyst is used for the H 2 combustion. The developed prototype performance was evaluated by determining its combustion temperature, H 2 slip (amount of unreacted H 2 in the flue gas), and flue gas composition with respect to NO x formation. Tests were performed at inlet H 2 flows of 1–5 normal (N) L/min, which equates to a power output of 0.18–0.90 kW, respectively. The observed combustion temperature of the catalyst surface, determined using an IR camera, was in the range of 324.5 °C (at 1 NL/min) to 611.2 °C (at 5 NL/min). The H 2 slip of <1.75 vol% was observed during CHC at 1–5 NL/min H 2 flow. The maximum efficiency of 42% was determined at 1 NL/min H 2 flow and a power output of 0.18 kW.