Vacuum-packaged micro fuel reformer for high thermal efficiency and low package temperature

A fully-microfabricated wafer-level vacuum package of a micro fuel reformer was designed, fabricated and tested. For thermal insulation, a high-temperature reactor is suspended by microfabricated tubes, in which fuel and reformed gas flow, and is vacuum-packaged by anodic bonding. Conductive heat loss through air in the package was investigated by making the packaging pressure as a parameter. The measured heat loss is 1.2 W at a reforming temperature of 240degC, showing a potential to realize a micro fuel reformer with a thermal efficiency of 75%. Also, the temperature of the package outside is as low as 60degC, which is enough to install the micro fuel reformer in portable electronics.