MOLTEN CARBONATE FUEL CELL PRODUCT DESIGN IMPROVEMENT
The carbonate fuel cell promises highly efficient, cost-effective and environmentally superior power generation from pipeline natural gas, coal gas, biogas, and other gaseous and liquid fuels. FuelCell Energy, Inc. has been engaged in the development of this unique technology, focusing on the development of the Direct Fuel Cell (DFC{reg_sign}). The DFC{reg_sign} design incorporates the unique internal reforming feature which allows utilization of a hydrocarbon fuel directly in the fuel cell without requiring any external reforming reactor and associated heat exchange equipment. This approach upgrades waste heat to chemical energy and thereby contributes to a higher overall conversion efficiency of fuel energy to electricity with low levels of environmental emissions. Among the internal reforming options, FuelCell Energy has selected the Indirect Internal Reforming (IIR)--Direct Internal Reforming (DIR) combination as its baseline design. The IIR-DIR combination allows reforming control (and thus cooling) over the entire cell area. This results in uniform cell temperature. In the IIR-DIR stack, a reforming unit (RU) is placed in between a group of fuel cells. The hydrocarbon fuel is first fed into the RU where it is reformed partially to hydrogen and carbon monoxide fuel using heat produced by the fuel cell electrochemical reactions. The reformed gases are then fed to the DIR chamber, where the residual fuel is reformed simultaneously with the electrochemical fuel cell reactions. FuelCell Energy plans to offer commercial DFC power plants in various sizes, focusing on the subMW as well as the MW-scale units. The plan is to offer standardized, packaged DFC power plants operating on natural gas or other hydrocarbon-containing fuels for commercial sale. The power plant design will include a diesel fuel processing option to allow dual fuel applications. These power plants, which can be shop-fabricated and sited near the user, are ideally suited for distributed power generation, industrial cogeneration, marine applications and uninterrupted power for military bases. FuelCell Energy operated a 1.8 MW plant at a utility site in 1996-97, the largest fuel cell power plant ever operated in North America. This proof-of-concept power plant demonstrated high efficiency, low emissions, reactive power control, and unattended operation capabilities. Drawing on the manufacture, field test, and post-test experience of the full-size power plant; FuelCell Energy launched the Product Design Improvement (PDI) program sponsored by government and the private-sector cost-share. The PDI efforts are focused on technology and system optimization for cost reduction, commercial design development, and prototype system field trials. The program was initiated in December 1994. Year 2000 program accomplishments are discussed in this report.
- Research Organization:
- National Energy Technology Laboratory, Pittsburgh, PA (US); National Energy Technology Laboratory, Morgantown, WV (US)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- US Department of Energy (US)
- DOE Contract Number:
- FC21-95MC31184
- OSTI ID:
- 804909
- Report Number(s):
- FC21-95MC31184-36; TRN: US200223%%414
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: 1 Feb 2002
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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MOLTEN CARBONATE FUEL CELL PRODUCT DESIGN IMPROVEMENT
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Related Subjects
01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
02 PETROLEUM
03 NATURAL GAS
33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS
CARBON MONOXIDE
CARBONATES
COAL GAS
DIESEL FUELS
FIELD TESTS
FUEL CELL POWER PLANTS
FUEL CELLS
LIQUID FUELS
METHANE
MOLTEN CARBONATE FUEL CELLS
NATURAL GAS
POWER GENERATION
POWER PLANTS
RESIDUAL FUELS
WASTE HEAT