LIGHT ALCOHOLS METHANE FUELED MOLTEN-CARBONATE FUEL-CELLS - A COMPARATIVE-STUDY

The configuration of internal reforming has been successfully applied in molten carbonate fuel cells (MCFCs), allowing a flexibility in fuel use unfeasible for other kind of fuel cells, which operate at lower t emperatures. On this basis, a theoretical study able to provide useful information on the use of ethanol, methanol or methane as fuel in MCF Cs has been carried out. The paper reports the most significant result s obtained from this comparative analysis, which allows clear evaluati ons about the energetic suitability of each examined fuel. This study, developed by the support of a mathematical model, gave as main result s the chemical, electrical and thermal power densities obtainable by e ach raw fuel and evidenced the limits or gains arising from the variat ion of the MCFCs operative parameters. Leaving out the economical poin t of view, ethanol present some advantages (natural availability, stor age and handling safety, heat distribution on the catalyst, etc.) comp ared with the other fuels. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights r eserved.