Direct carbonate fuel cell power plant operating with logistic fuels

Conference · Wed Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1997

OSTI ID:349023

Abens, S G; Steinfeld, G ^[1]

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1. Energy Research Corp., Danbury, CT (United States)

In response to the US Department of Defense need for power generators which operate with logistic fuels, Energy Research Corporation and its subcontractors, Haldor Topsoe and Fluor Daniel, have conducted design studies and subscale equipment tests toward the development of fuel cell power plants with multifuel capability. A principal objective of this work was the development of a fixed-base carbonate fuel cell power plant design which can utilize both natural gas and military logistic fuels DF-2 and JP-8. To verify ERC`s technical approach, a 32 kW brassboard logistic fuel preprocessing system was assembled and operated with a Direct Carbonate Fuel Cell (DFC) stack. The project was conducted as part of DARPA`s Fuel Cell Power Plant Initiative Program for the development of dual use fuel cell power plants. The logistic fuel preprocessor consisted of a hydrodesulfurization plant which supplied desulfurized feed to an adiabatic prereformer. The methane-rich product gas provides fuel cell performance similar to that with natural gas. A preliminary design of a 3MW multifuel power plant prepared with input from the 32kW brassboard test confirmed that the thermal efficiency of a DFC power plant is nearly as high with logistic fuel (57%) as it is with natural gas (58%).

• OSTI ID: 349023
• Report Number(s): CONF-970701--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS
30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION
DESIGN
DIESEL FUELS
FUEL CELL POWER PLANTS
HYDROCARBON FUEL CELLS
JET ENGINE FUELS
MOLTEN CARBONATE FUEL CELLS
NATURAL GAS FUEL CELLS
THERMAL EFFICIENCY