Fuel cell power plant Carbonate

Fhosphoric acid does not have all the properties of an ideal fuel cell electrolyte. Because it is chemically stable, relatively nonvolatile at temperatures above 200 C, and rejects carbon dioxide, it is useful in electric utility fuel cell power plants that use fuel cell waste heat to raise steam for reforming natural gas and liquid fuels. Although phosphoric acid is the only common acid combining the above properties, it does exhibit a deleterious effect on air electrode kinetics when compared with other electrolytes ( ) including such materials as sulfuric and perchloric acids, whose chemical instability at T > 120 C render them unsuitable for utility fuel cell use. In the second part of this paper, we will review progress towards the development of new acid electrolytes for fuel cells. 

Ghezell-Ayagh et al. (1999) Development of a stack simulatioin model for control study on direct reforming molten carbonate fuel cell power plant, IEEE Trans. Energy Conversion, Vol. 14, No. 4. 

Thomas L. Buchanan, John H. Hirschenhofer, David B. Stauffer, and Jay S. White, "Carbon Dioxide Capture in Fuel Cell Power Systems," September 1994, G/C Report 2981. "Overview of 11 MW Fuel Cell Power Plant," Non-published information from Tokyo Electric Power Company, September 1989. 

General Electric Company. Development of Molten Carbonate Fuel Cell Power Plant, Final Report for U.S. DOE/Contr. DE-A02 80ET/7019, 1985. 

A stationary molten-carbonate fuel cell power plant operating on natural gas and designed by the Energy Research Corporation began generating electricity in Santa Clara, California. 

Two molten carbonate fuel cell demonstration plants have been started up in California (one in Santa Clara and one at the Miramar Naval Station, near San Diego). And developers of other technologies (e.g., solid oxide fuel cell power plants) are confidently talking about commercialization within a few years after 2000. In mid 1999, Siemens-Westinghouse was busy gearing up to build four 250-kW solid oxide fuel cell demonstration plants, two in Europe and two in the United States.7... 

FuelCell Energy Corporation The largest yet molten carbonate fuel cell power plant, a 2-MW unit designed and built by the company under its previous name, Energy Research Corporation, began churning out electricity... 

Using ammonia in fuel cell power plants does not generate carbon dioxide (CO2) or nitrogen oxides (NO2) emissions. 

Sone, Y., Kishida, H., Kobayashi, M. and Watanabe, T. (2000) A study of carbon deposition on fuel cell power plants -morphology of deposited carbon and catalytic metal in carbon deposition reactions on stainless steel. J. Power Sources, 86, 334—339. 

A number of fuel cells, currently in the development stage, may soon compete with fossil fuel electricity production. Several companies have developed fuel cell power plants that generate up to several megawatts of power. The most promising of these is called the molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC), which uses potassium carbonate as the electron transfer medium and methane gas as the fuel. In an initial process called reforming, the methane gas reacts with water to form carbon dioxide and hydrogen gas ... 

Heodig WK, Haines MR, Li KJ (2000) Economical carbon dioxide recovery for sequestration from a solid oxide fuel cell power plant. In 5th International conference on greenhouse gas technologies, Australia... 

Nearly all fuels used to operate carbonate fuel cell power plants contain sulfur. Sulfur compounds deactivate nickel-based catalysts used in the carbonate fuel cell anode. Sulfur has a tendency to be chemisorbed on active nickel, forming nickel sulfide (as shown in Reactions 4-6). The catalyst deactivation causes loss of reforming activity and hence limits the catalyst life. For stable long-term carbonate fuel cell operation, the sulfur concentration in fuel needs to be reduced to a lower level prior to introduction to the anode by utilizing an efficient fuel desulfurization system. As a rule-of-thumb, sulfur should be removed to bring the concentration down to the sub-ppm level. 

Fig. 20 Carbonate fuel cell power plant simplified process schematics Waste heat in the power plant exhaust can be used for variety of co-generation applications.

Fig. 25 Simplified process flow diagram of the IGCC with fuel cell 2MW carbonate fuel cell power plant operating on coal gas from an E-gas gasification plant.

Electrical and control subsystems are two key components in a carbonate fuel cell power plant. The electric... 

Farooque, M., Steinfeld, G., McCleary, G. and Kremenik, S. Assessment of Coal Gasification/Carbonate Fuel Cell Power Plants , Topical Report to DOE/METC, June 1990, DOC/MC/23274-2911. NTIS/DE90015579. 

Sander, M.T. and Steinfeld, G. Cost and Performance Analysis for a 220 MW Phased Construction Carbonate Fuel Cell Power Plant , 11th Annual Conference on Gasification Power Plants, EPRI, October 1992. 

MC Power The world s largest molten carbonate fuel cell cogeneration plant, a 250-kW facility built by MC Power, began producing power at the US Navy s Miramar Naval Air Station in the spring of 1997. With cogeneration factored in, the company said, the plant has an overall efficiency of close to 80 percent. Unfortunately, the company folded in early 2000 after... 

The molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC) plant is a high-temperature fuel cell power generation... 

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