Effect of the Size of Molten Carbonate Fuel Cells on the Temperature Distribution

2018 ◽  
Vol 773 ◽  
pp. 118-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chang Whan Lee ◽  
Jae Hyeong Yu ◽  
Hyun Woo Kim ◽  
Bo Hyun Ryu
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cells ◽  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Temperature Distribution ◽  
Gas Flow ◽  
Flow Direction ◽  
Exothermic Reaction ◽  
Maximum Temperature ◽  
Molten Carbonate ◽  
Term Operation ◽  
Molten Carbonate Fuel Cells

Molten carbonate fuel cells (MCFCs) are high-temperature fuel cells that use liquid electrolytes composed of molten carbonates such as Li2CO3, Na2CO3, and K2CO3. Electrochemical reactions of MCFCs are exothermic reaction. Consequently, temperature distribution of fuel cells is one of important factors in long-term operation. In this work, the effects of the size of the fuel cell on the temperature distribution were investigated using CFD analysis. It was found that as the length of the gas flow direction and the number of layers of fuel cell increases, the maximum temperature of the cell was increased.

scholarly journals Effect of Cell Size on the Performance and Temperature Distribution of Molten Carbonate Fuel Cells

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 1361 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jae-Hyeong Yu ◽  
Chang-Whan Lee
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cells ◽  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Gas Flow ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Cross Flow ◽  
Current Density Distribution ◽  
Maximum Temperature ◽  
Similar Distribution ◽  
Molten Carbonate ◽  
Molten Carbonate Fuel Cells

Molten carbonate fuel cells (MCFCs) are high-operating-temperature fuel cells with high efficiency and fuel diversity. Electrochemical reactions in MCFCs are exothermic. As the size of the fuel cells increases, the amount of the heat from the fuel cells and the temperature of the fuel cells increase. In this work, we investigated the relationship between the fuel cell stack size and performance by applying computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Three flow types, namely co-flow, cross-flow, and counter-flow, were studied. We found that when the size of the fuel cells increased beyond a certain value, the size of the fuel cell no longer affected the cell performance. The maximum fuel cell temperature converged as the size of the fuel cell increased. The temperature and current density distribution with respect to the size showed a very similar distribution. The converged maximum temperature of the fuel cells depended on the gas flow condition. The maximum temperature of the fuel cell decreased as the amount of gas in the cathode size increased.

Molten Carbonate Fuel Cells for Retrofitting Postcombustion CO2 Capture in Coal and Natural Gas Power Plants

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maurizio Spinelli ◽  
Stefano Campanari ◽  
Stefano Consonni ◽  
Matteo C. Romano ◽  
Thomas Kreutz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cells ◽  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Natural Gas ◽  
Co2 Capture ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Combined Cycle ◽  
Co2 Separation ◽  
Molten Carbonate ◽  
Promising Alternative ◽  
Molten Carbonate Fuel Cells

The state-of-the-art conventional technology for postcombustion capture of CO2 from fossil-fueled power plants is based on chemical solvents, which requires substantial energy consumption for regeneration. A promising alternative, available in the near future, is the application of molten carbonate fuel cells (MCFC) for CO2 separation from postcombustion flue gases. Previous studies related to this technology showed both high efficiency and high carbon capture rates, especially when the fuel cell is thermally integrated in the flue gas path of a natural gas-fired combined cycle or an integrated gasification combined cycle plant. This work compares the application of MCFC-based CO2 separation process to pulverized coal fired steam cycles (PCC) and natural gas combined cycles (NGCC) as a “retrofit” to the original power plant. Mass and energy balances are calculated through detailed models for both power plants, with fuel cell behavior simulated using a 0D model calibrated against manufacturers' specifications and based on experimental measurements, specifically carried out to support this study. The resulting analysis includes a comparison of the energy efficiency and CO2 separation efficiency as well as an economic comparison of the cost of CO2 avoided (CCA) under several economic scenarios. The proposed configurations reveal promising performance, exhibiting very competitive efficiency and economic metrics in comparison with conventional CO2 capture technologies. Application as a MCFC retrofit yields a very limited (<3%) decrease in efficiency for both power plants (PCC and NGCC), a strong reduction (>80%) in CO2 emission and a competitive cost for CO2 avoided (25–40 €/ton).

Thermal Management of an Air-Cooled PEM Fuel Cell: Cell Level Simulation

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Andisheh Tadbir ◽  
S. Shahsavari ◽  
M. Bahrami ◽  
E. Kjeang
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cells ◽  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Temperature Distribution ◽  
Thermal Management ◽  
Rejection Rate ◽  
Thermal Design ◽  
Temperature Gradients ◽  
Maximum Temperature ◽  
Cell Level ◽  
Heat Rejection

Air-cooled polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells have recently been the center of attention mainly because of the simplicity they bring into the fuel cell industry. Their main advantage is the elimination of balance-of-plant subsystems such as the liquid coolant loop, heat exchanger, compressor, and air humidifier which greatly reduces the complexity, parasitic power, and cost of the overall system. In air-cooled fuel cells, air is used as a combined oxidant and coolant. However, the net power output is limited by the heat rejection rate and the overall performance and durability are restricted by high temperature gradients during stack operation. An important initial step toward this goal is accurate knowledge of the temperature distribution in the stack in order to optimize heat removal by suitable thermal management strategies. In the present study, a three dimensional numerical model is developed that can predict the temperature distribution in cell level with an acceptable accuracy. Using this methodology, the maximum temperature in the stack as well as temperature gradients, which are two essential operating parameters for air-cooled fuel cells, can be obtained. The model is validated using experimental data for the 1020ACS fuel cell stack from Ballard Power Systems. A parametric study is performed for bipolar plate thermal conductivity and overall thermal characteristics on the cell level to examine the effects of these parameters on the maximum stack temperature, temperature gradient in the cell, and overall heat rejection rate. Based on these results, recommendations are provided for improved thermal design of air-cooled fuel cells.

Molten Carbonate Fuel Cells as Means for Post-Combustion CO2 Capture: Retrofitting Coal-Fired Steam Plants and Natural Gas-Fired Combined Cycles

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maurizio Spinelli ◽  
Stefano Campanari ◽  
Matteo C. Romano ◽  
Stefano Consonni ◽  
Thomas G. Kreutz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cells ◽  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Natural Gas ◽  
Co2 Capture ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Combined Cycle ◽  
Co2 Separation ◽  
Molten Carbonate ◽  
Molten Carbonate Fuel Cells ◽  
Combined Cycles

The state-of-the-art conventional technology for post combustion capture of CO2 from fossil-fuelled power plants is based on chemical solvents, which requires substantial energy consumption for regeneration. Apromising alternative, available in the near future, is the application of Molten Carbonate Fuel Cells (MCFC) for CO2 separation from post-combustion flue gases. Previous studies related to this technology showed both high efficiency and high carbon capture rates, especially when the fuel cell is thermally integrated in the flue gas path of a natural gas-fired combined cycle or an integrated gasification combined cycle plant. This work compares the application of MCFC based CO2 separation process to pulverized coal fired steam cycles (PCC) and natural gas combined cycles (NGCC) as a ‘retrofit’ to the original power plant. Mass and energy balances are calculated through detailed models for both power plants, with fuel cell behaviour simulated using a 0D model calibrated against manufacturers’ specifications and based on experimental measurements, specifically carried out to support this study. The resulting analysis includes a comparison of the energy efficiency and CO2 separation efficiency as well as an economic comparison of the cost of CO2 avoided under several economic scenarios. The proposed configurations reveal promising performance, exhibiting very competitive efficiency and economic metrics in comparison with conventional CO2 capture technologies. Application as a MCFC retrofit yields a very limited (<3%) decrease in efficiency for both power plants (PCC and NGCC), a strong reduction (>80%) in CO2 emission and a competitive cost for CO2 avoided (25–40 €/ton).

Long-term operation of small-sized single molten carbonate fuel cells

1998 ◽  
Vol 72 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-82 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Tanimoto ◽  
M. Yanagida ◽  
T. Kojima ◽  
Y. Tamiya ◽  
H. Matsumoto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cells ◽  
Molten Carbonate ◽  
Term Operation ◽  
Molten Carbonate Fuel Cells
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