Study of integrated coal-gasifier molten carbonate fuel cell systems

Technical Report · Fri Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1983

OSTI ID:6618540

A novel integration concept for a coal-fueled coal gasifier-molten carbonate fuel cell power plant was studied. Effort focused on determining the efficiency potential of the concept, design, and development requirements of the processes in order to achieve the efficiency. The concept incorporates a methane producing catalytic gasifier of the type previously under development by Exxon Research and Development Corp., a reforming molten carbonate fuel cell power section of the type currently under development by United Technologies Corp., and a gasifier-fuel cell recycle loop. The concept utilizes the fuel cell waste heat, in the form of hydrogen and carbon monoxide, to generate additional fuel in the coal gasifier, thereby eliminating the use of both an O2 plant and a stream bottoming cycle from the power plant. The concept has the potential for achieving coal-pile-to-busbar efficiencies of 50-59%, depending on the process configuration and degree of process configuration and degree of process development requirements. This is significantly higher than any previously reported gasifier-molten carbonate fuel cell system.

• Research Organization: United Technologies Corp., South Windsor, CT (USA); Jet Propulsion Lab., Pasadena, CA (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6618540
• Report Number(s): N-83-35502; NASA-CR-173104; JPL-9950-871
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION
300501* -- Fuel Cells-- Design & Development
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBONATES
CATALYSIS
COAL GASIFICATION
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
EFFICIENCY
ELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS
FUEL CELL POWER PLANTS
FUEL CELLS
GASIFICATION
HIGH-TEMPERATURE FUEL CELLS
MOLTEN CARBONATE FUEL CELLS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POWER PLANTS
RECYCLING
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
WASTE HEAT UTILIZATION
WASTE PRODUCT UTILIZATION