The effect of varying the CO-CO2 and CO2-N2 ratios was investigated in the presence of coal in a specially designed 3-electrode setup, used to simulate the anode compartment in a hybrid direct carbon fuel cell (HDCFC). The HDCFC consists of a hybrid between a molten carbonate and a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC). It was shown that the cell performance improved with increased CO2 content in the CO...

This paper compares the polarization losses associated with the various diffusion-reaction-conduction processes in molten carbonate cathodes. The comparisons are made by estimating each type of loss in terms of component electrochemical potentials in joules/mole; this allows diffusive, charge-transfer, and ohmic losses to all be put on equal footing. For characteristic parameter values, diffusi...

In previous reports, flowing CO2 at the cathode is essential for either conventional molten carbonate fuel cells (MCFCs) based on molten carbonate/LiAlO2 electrolytes or matrix-free MCFCs. For the first time, we demonstrate a high-performance matrix-free MCFC without CO2 recirculation. At 800°C, power densities of 430 and 410 mW/cm(2) are achieved when biomass-bamboo charcoal and wood, respecti...

Moving away from conventional solid oxide electrolytes, hybrid fuel cells based on composite electrolytes (a solid oxide electrolyte and a molten alkaline carbonate phase) exhibit promising performance due to the high electrolyte conductivity within the so-called intermediate temperature ranges (400-600 C). These electrolytes are a blend of those traditionally used in Solid Oxide and Molten Car...