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Performance analysis of a direct carbon fuel cell with molten carbonate electrolyte

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  • Zhang, Houcheng
  • Chen, Liwei
  • Zhang, Jinjie
  • Chen, Jincan

Abstract

The model of a packed bed anode DCFC (direct carbon fuel cell) with molten carbonate as an electrolyte and graphite as a fuel is established to globally evaluate its performance. Thermodynamic-electrochemical analyses on the performance of the DCFC are implemented, in which the activation overpotential, ohmic overpotential, and concentration overpotential are taken as the main sources of voltage losses. The analytical expressions for the cell voltage, power output, efficiency, and entropy production rate are derived, from which the general performance characteristics are discussed in detail. At the anode, the ohmic overpotential in each slab resulting from the carbon phase is found to be about three orders of magnitude larger than that resulting from the electrolyte phase. The radius of the real contact area between two neighboring graphite particles decreases at an accelerating rate as one goes up in the bed, and the corresponding constriction resistance will increase at an accelerating rate. The decrease in the operating current density and anode dimension and the increase in the operating temperature will lessen the overall ohmic overpotential. The effects of the operating current density, operating temperature and anode dimension on the performance are discussed, and the optimum criteria for some important performance parameters are determined.

Suggested Citation

  • Zhang, Houcheng & Chen, Liwei & Zhang, Jinjie & Chen, Jincan, 2014. "Performance analysis of a direct carbon fuel cell with molten carbonate electrolyte," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 292-300.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:68:y:2014:i:c:p:292-300
    DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2014.02.049
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Zhang, Houcheng & Lin, Guoxing & Chen, Jincan, 2011. "The performance analysis and multi-objective optimization of a typical alkaline fuel cell," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 36(7), pages 4327-4332.
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    5. Carton, J.G. & Lawlor, V. & Olabi, A.G. & Hochenauer, C. & Zauner, G., 2012. "Water droplet accumulation and motion in PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane) fuel cell mini-channels," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 39(1), pages 63-73.
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    Cited by:

    1. Houcheng Zhang & Jiatang Wang & Jiapei Zhao & Fu Wang & He Miao & Jinliang Yuan, 2019. "Performance Analysis of a Hybrid System Consisting of a Molten Carbonate Direct Carbon Fuel Cell and an Absorption Refrigerator," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-13, January.
    2. Xu, Haoran & Chen, Bin & Tan, Peng & Zhang, Houcheng & Yuan, Jinliang & Liu, Jiang & Ni, Meng, 2017. "Performance improvement of a direct carbon solid oxide fuel cell system by combining with a Stirling cycle," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 140(P1), pages 979-987.
    3. Ahmadi, Mohammad H. & Jokar, Mohammad Ali & Ming, Tingzhen & Feidt, Michel & Pourfayaz, Fathollah & Astaraei, Fatemeh Razi, 2018. "Multi-objective performance optimization of irreversible molten carbonate fuel cell–Braysson heat engine and thermodynamic analysis with ecological objective approach," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 144(C), pages 707-722.
    4. Han, Yuan & Zhang, Houcheng & Hu, Ziyang & Hou, Shujin, 2021. "An efficient hybrid system using a graphene-based cathode vacuum thermionic energy converter to harvest the waste heat from a molten hydroxide direct carbon fuel cell," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 223(C).
    5. Cao, Tianyu & Shi, Yixiang & Jiang, Yanqi & Cai, Ningsheng & Gong, Qianming, 2017. "Performance enhancement of liquid antimony anode fuel cell by in-situ electrochemical assisted oxidation process," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 125(C), pages 526-532.
    6. Ozalp, N. & Abedini, H. & Abuseada, M. & Davis, R. & Rutten, J. & Verschoren, J. & Ophoff, C. & Moens, D., 2022. "An overview of direct carbon fuel cells and their promising potential on coupling with solar thermochemical carbon production," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 162(C).
    7. Heidarian, Alireza & Cheung, Sherman C.P. & Ojha, Ruchika & Rosengarten, Gary, 2022. "Effects of current collector shape and configuration on charge percolation and electric conductivity of slurry electrodes for electrochemical systems," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 239(PD).

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