• Clean Technology
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.426-431
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• 2012

Carbon-rich coal can be utilized as a fuel for direct carbon fuel cell (DCFC). However, left-behind ash after the electrochemical oxidation may hinder the electrochemical reactions. In this study, we produced ash-free coal (AFC) by thermal extraction and then tested it as a fuel for DCFC. DCFC was built based on solid oxide electrolyte and the electrochemical performance of AFC mixed with $K_2CO_3$ was compared with AFC only. Significantly enhanced power density was found by catalytic steam gasification of AFC. However, an increase of the power density by catalytic pyrolysis was negligible. This result indicated that a catalyst activated the steam gasification reactions, producing much more $H_2$ and thus increasing the power density, compared to AFC only. Results of a quantitative analysis showed much improved kinetics in AFC with $K_2CO_3$ in agreement with DCFC results. A secondary phase of potassium on yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) surface was observed after the cell operation. This probably caused poor long-term behavior of AFC with $K_2CO_3$. A thin YSZ (30 ${\mu}m$ thick) was found to be higher in the power density than 0.9 mm of YSZ.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 1999.07d
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• pp.1870-1872
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• 1999

Performance of 20-cell stack for direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) was tested at constant temperature. Electrode evaluation used to the stack was tested by the performance of a single cell. A new composite electrode prepared from active carbon cloth and high porous active carbon was developed for hydrophilic layer of the cell. Characteristics of a single cell using the composite electrode showed the current density of $500mA/cm^2$ at the cell voltage of 0.4V at $120^{\circ}C$. For the operating of 20 days. the cell voltage at constant cell current densty of $100mA/cm^2$ was slightly reduced from 0.62V to 0.53V with the cell voltage decay rate of 14.5%. Power of 20-cell stack at 5.3V, $100^{\circ}C$ was about 180W.

• Carbon letters
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.27-30
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• 2000

Performance of direct methanol fuel cell using high porous active carbon as an uncatalysed diffusion layer in anode (composite electrode) has been evaluated. Effects of porous active carbon in anode were investigated by galvanostatic method and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy. The single cell was operated with 2.5 M methanol at temperature of $80-120^{\circ}C$ and showed performance of $210-510\;mA/cm^2$ at 0.4V. By replacing conventional electrode with composite electrode, the increment of $290\;mA/cm^2$ in current density was obtained at $90^{\circ}C$and 0.4V. The potential decay of the single cell was about 14.5% for 20 days operation.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.1142-1147
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• 2008

Nano-structured porous carbon fiber(PCF) for the catalyst supports of the direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) were prepared from the mesophase pitch by using the nano-MgO powders. Specific surface area of the PCFs was $8{\sim}58m^2/g$ and surface pore structures had almost meso pore diameter of 10~20 nm which were depending on the amount of MgO spheres. Aqueous reduction method was used to load 60 wt% PtRu on the prepared PCF supports. The electro-oxidation activity and single cell performance of the 60 wt% Pt-Ru catalysts were measured by cyclic voltammetry and unit cell test. The performances of these catalysts increased by 5~10% compared with one of commercial catalyst.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.513-520
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• 2012

The electrochemical reaction of refuse derived fuel (RDF) and refuse plastic/paper fuel (RPF) was investigated in the direct carbon fuel cell (DCFC) system. The open circuit voltage (OCV) of RPF was higher than RDF and other coals because of its thermal reactive characteristic under carbon dioxide. The thermal reactivity of fuels was investigated by thermogravimetric analysis method. and the reaction rate of RPF was higher than other fuels. The behavior of all sample's potential was analogous in the beginning region of electrochemical reactions due to similar functional groups on the surface of fuels analyzed by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy experiments. The potential level of RDF and RPF decreased rapidly comparing to coals in the next of the electrochemical reaction because the surface area and pore volume investigated by nitrogen gas adsorption tests were smaller than coals. This characteristic signifies the contact surface between electrolyte and fuel is restricted. The potential of fuels was maintained to the high current density region over 40 $mA/cm^2$ by total carbon component. The maximum power density of RDF and RPF reached up to 45~70% comparing to coal. The obvious improvement of maximum power density by increasing operating temperature was observed in both refuse fuels.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.587-595
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• 2020

Nickel-based bimetallic catalysts were investigated for use in direct borohydride/hydrogen peroxide fuel cells. For anode and cathode, PdNi and AuNi catalysts were used, respectively. Nickel-based bimetallic catalysts have been investigated through various methods, such as inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive spectroscopy. The performance of the catalysts was evaluated through fuel cell tests. The maximum power density of the fuel cell with nickel-based bimetallic catalysts was found to be higher than that of the fuel cell with the monometallic catalysts. The nickel-based bimetallic catalysts also exhibited a stable performance up to 60 minutes.

• Journal of Energy Engineering
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.309-317
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• 2011

The effect of physical properties of coal fuels and carbon particle on performance of DCFC (Direct Carbon Fuel Cell) was investigated. Shenhua and Adaro were selected as coal fuel and carbon particle was used for comparing with coal. The Ultimate, proximate, SEM, XRD, and BET analysis of samples were conducted. The component of char was more important than that of raw coal because the operating temperature of reactor is higher than devolatilization region of coal. The surface area and volume of pores affected significantly the performance of the system than content of fixed carbon or char rates. The performance of DCFC with carbon particle was in proportional to working temperature.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.230-236
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• 2013

In this study, successive coating and co-sintering techniques have been used to fabricate LSM/GDC based cathode supported direct carbon fuel cells. The porous LSM/GDC cathode substrate, dense, thin and crack free GDC and ScSZ layers as bi-layer electrolyte, and a porous Ni/ScSZ anode layer was obtained by co-firing at $1400^{\circ}C$. The porous structure of LSM/GDC cathode substrate, after sintering at $1400^{\circ}C$, was obtained due to the presence of GDC phase, which inhibits sintering of LSM because of its higher sintering temperature. The electrochemical characterization of assembled cell was carried out with air as an oxidant and carbon particles in molten carbonate as fuel. The measured open circuit voltages (OCVs) were obtained to be more than 0.99 V, independent of testing temperature. The peak power densities were 116, 195 and $225mWcm^{-2}$ at 750, 800 and $850^{\circ}C$, respectively.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2009.06a
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• pp.392-394
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• 2009

Direct Carbon Fuel Cells (DCFCs) generates electricity directly converting the chemical energy in coal. In the present study, effects of anode and current collector materials on the power density of DCFC are investigated experimentally. The adopted DCFC system is combined type of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) and molten carbonate fuel cells (MCFC) with the use of a liquid-molten salt anode and a solid oxide electrolyte, proposed by SRI. Power densities of 25 mm button cells with various combination of anode materials and current collector materials are measured.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.45 no.12
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• pp.807-814
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• 2008

The Cu-Ni-YSZ cermet anodes for direct use of methane in solid oxide fuel cells have been fabricated by electroplating Cu into the porous Ni-YSZ cermet anode. The uniform distribution of Cu in the Ni-YSZ anode could be obtained via pulse electroplating in the aqueous solution mixture of $CuSO_4{\cdot}5H_{2}O$ and ${H_2}{SO_4}$ for 30 min with 0.05 A of average applied current. The power density ($0.17\;Wcm^{-2}$) of a single cell with a Cu-Ni-YSZ anode was shown to be slightly lower in methane at $700^{\circ}C$, compared with the power density ($0.28\;Wcm^{-2}$) of a single cell with a Ni-YSZ anode. However, the performance of the Ni-YSZ anode-supported single cell was abruptly degraded over 21 h because of carbon deposition, whereas the Cu-Ni-YSZ anode-supported single cell showed the enhanced durability upto 52 h.