• Journal of Hydrogen and New Energy
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• v.21 no.5
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• pp.419-424
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• 2010

The 125kW external reforming (ER) type molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC) system for developing a commercial prototype has been operated at Boryeong thermal power plant site since the end of 2009. The system consists of 125kW stack with $10,000 cm^2$ effective area, mechanical balance of plant (MBOP) with anode recycle system, and electrical balance of plant (EBOP). The 125kW MCFC stack installed in December, 2009 has been operated from January, 2010 after 20 days pre-treatment. The stack open circuit voltage (OCV) was 214V at initial load operation, which approaches the thermodynamically theoretical voltage. The stack voltage remained stable range from 160V to 180V at the maximum generating power of 120 kW DC. The stack has been operated for 3,270 hours and operated at rated power for 1,200 hours.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2005.07b
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• pp.1681-1683
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• 2005

The molten carbonate fuel tell(MCFC) is endowed with the high potential especially in future electric power generation industry by its own outstanding characteristics. KEPCO(KEPRI) started a 100 kW MCFC system development program in 1993 and has been executed 100kW system develpilot plant successfully completed first phaseopment by 2005 on the basis of successful results of 25kW system development. In this program, the components and mechanical structure for 100 kW stack and system construction were completed on last year and now system pre-commissioning was being executed. A 100 kW MCFC power plant was constructed at the site of Boryeong Thermal Power Plant. A 100 kW MCFC system has characterized as a high pressure operation mode, $CO_2$ recycle, and externally reforming power generation system. The 100 kW MCFC system consisted with stacks which was made by two 50 kW sub-stacks, 90 cells with 6,000 cm2 active area and BOP including a reformer, a recycle blower, a catalytic burner, an inverter, and etc. The system will be operated under 3 atm pressure condition and expected to last over 5,000 hours by the end of this year.

• Journal of Surface Science and Engineering
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.291-298
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• 1993

In order to substitute for porous nickel anode in Molten Carbonate Fuel Cell(MCFC), porous cermet elec-trode was fabricated with Ni and Ni-P coated ceramic powder. Ni and Ni-P were coated by electroless plat-ing method in the nickel solution containing of hydrazine and sodium hypophosphate as a reducing agent. The plating solution was stirred by air and mechanical agitator. Ultrasonic irradiation was applied to the plating bath to improved the effect of agitation and coating speed. Electorde was formed by pressing method and doc-tor blade method followed by sinterd at$ 800^{\circ}C$ for 6 hours in H2 environment. Anode performance test carried out by potentiodynamic polarization technique in the MCFC operating condition and 154-161mA/$\textrm{cm}^2$ as ob-tained as a anode current density at the+100mV overpotential.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2010.06a
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• pp.130.2-130.2
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• 2010

한전 전력연구원에서는 2009년 12월부터 125 kW급 용융탄산염 연료전지 발전시스템의 성능평가를 위한 운전이 진행되고 있다. 현재 진행 중인 "250 kW급 열병합 용융탄산염 연료전지 Proto Type개발" 과제의 최종시작품인 250 kW급 발전시스템은 125 kW급 MCFC 스택 2기로 설계되어, 125 kW급 시스템의 시험운전은 매우 중요한 기술적 성과가 될 것이다. 현재 125 kW급 MCFC 스택은 10,000 $cm^2$의 유효전극면적을 갖는 단위전지들로 구성되었으며, 적층 스택의 온도 및 농도분포의 최적화를 위해 내부 매니폴드 및 Co-flow Type 열교환기 기반의 분리판을 개발 적용하였다. 연료극의 전극 구성은 Ni-Al alloy로, 공기극의 전극 구성은 Lithiated-NiO로 이루어졌다. 그리고 매트릭스는 ${\alpha}-LiAlO_2$로 제작되었고, 전해질은 Li과 K Carbonate가 68 : 32 비율로 섞인 용융염을 사용하였다. 본 125 kW급 용융탄산염 연료전지 시스템의 운전평가는 고적층 스택의 온도 및 농도 분포를 확인하고, 최적화된 스택 운전 조건을 도출하는 것을 그 목적으로 하고 있다. 125kW급 스택 1기의 규모의 주변기기 시스템은 외부개질기, 촉매연소기, 이젝터, 고온순환 블로어 및 공기블로어 등으로 이루어져 있다. 고온형 연료전지 시스템에서 연료극과 공기극의 균일한 온도 및 압력 확보는 매우 중요하며, 이를 위하여 외부개질기 및 촉매연소기 연동을 통한 온도편차를 최소화하고, 기존 고온용 순환 블로어 대신 이젝터를 개발 도입하여 압력균형을 조절하였다. 125kW급 MCFC 시스템은 2009년 12월부터 전처리 운전을 시작하여 2010년 1월 말부터 PCS로 전기를 생산하고 있다. 평균전압 0.83V에서 100kW의 출력을 기록하였으며, 피크부하 120 kW, 누적출력량 30 MWh를 초과달성하였다.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.20 no.12
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• pp.1413-1417
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• 1999

Chemical poisoning of Ni/MgO catalyst was induced by hot alkali carbonate vapor in molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC), and the poisoned (or contaminated) catalyst was characterized by TPR/TPO, FTIR, and XRD analysis. Carbonate electrolytes such as K and Li were transferred to the catalyst during DIR-MCFC operation at 650 ℃. The deposition of alkali species on the catalyst consequently led to physical blocking on catalytic active sites and structural deformation by chemical poisoning. TPR/TPO analysis indicated that K species enhanced the reducibility of NiO thin film over Ni as co-catalyst, and Li species lessened the reducibility of metallic Ni by chemical reaction with MgO. FTIR analysis of the poisoned catalyst did not exhibit the characteristic ${\vector}_1$$(D_{3h})$ peaks (1055 $cm^{-1},\;1085\;cm{-1})$ for pure crystalline carbonates, instead a new peak (1120 $cm^{-1})$ was observed proportionally with deformed alkali carbonates. From XRD analysis, the oxidation of metallic Ni into $Ni_xMg_{1-x}O$ was confirmed by the peak shift of MgO with shrinking of Ni particles. Conclusively, hot alkali species induced both chemical poisoning and physical deposition on Ni/MgO catalyst in DIR-MCFC at 650 ℃.

• 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 Hydrogen and New Energy
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.305-312
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• 2011

The use of a separator to control stack temperature in a molten carbonate fuel cell was studied by numerical simulation using a computational fluid dynamics code. The stack model assumed steady-state and constant-load operation of a co-flow stack with an external reformer at atmospheric pressure. Representing a conventional cell type, separators with two flow paths, one each for the anode and cathode gas, were simulated under conditions in which the cathode gas was composed of either air and carbon dioxide (case I) or oxygen and carbon dioxide (case II). The results showed that the average cell potential in case II was higher than that in case I due to the higher partial pressures of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the cathode gas. This result indicates that the amount of heat released during the electrochemical reactions was less for case II than for case I under the same load. However, simulated results showed that the maximum stack temperature in case I was lower than that in case II due to a reduction in the total flow rate of the cathode gas. To control the stack temperature and retain a high cell potential, we proposed the use of a separator with three flow paths (case III); two flow paths for the electrodes and a path in the center of the separator for the flow of nitrogen for cooling. The simulated results for case III showed that the average cell potential was similar to that in case II, indicating that the amount of heat released in the stack was similar to that in case II, and that the maximum stack temperature was the lowest of the three cases due to the nitrogen gas flow in the center of the separator. In summary, the simulated results showed that the use of a separator with three flow paths enabled temperature control in a co-flow stack with an external reformer at atmospheric pressure.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.107-115
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• 1999

Microstructural variation and strengthening effects with lamination methods of alumina fiber-reinforced ${\gamma}$-LiAlO2 matrixes for Molten Carbonate Fuel Cell(MCFC) were studied. The porosities of all matrix laminated by hot-pressing of two green sheets under 1 kg/$\textrm{cm}^2$ at 45$^{\circ}C$ for 1 min and by double-casting which the second layer cast on the first green sheet dried for 3.5h were more than 50%. The strength of the Al2O3 fiber-reinforced matrix prepared by lamination was enhanced by 70% in comparison with the non-laminated matrix (115 gf/$\textrm{mm}^2$) and the strength-directionality due to fiber-orientation also could be removed. The strength of matrixes laminated by triple-casting was higher than that of the double-cast matrix, but triple-cast matrix showed the directionality with the casting direction, and furthermore its porosity was less than 50%. Although the strength of matrixes laminated by double-casting (195 gf/$\textrm{mm}^2$) is slightly less than that of matrixes laminated by hot-pressing (212 gf/$\textrm{mm}^2$), the double-casting method was evaluated to be more efficient laminating process in MCFC matrix processing.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.49 no.4
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• pp.423-431
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• 2011

Recentincreasing awareness of the environmental damage caused by the $CO_2$ emission of fossil fuelsstimulated the interest in alternative and renewable sources of energy. Fuel cell is a representative example of hydrogen energy utilization. In this study, Molten Carbonate Fuel Cell system is simulated by using $Aspen^{TM}$. Stack model is consisted of equilibrium reaction equations using $ACM^{TM}$(Aspen Custom Modeler). Balance of process of fuel cell system is developed in Aspen $Plus^{TM}$ and simulated at steady-state. Analysis of performance of the system is carried out by using sensitivity analysis tool with main operating parameters such as current density, S/C ratio, and fuel utilization and recycle ratio.In Aspen $Dynamics^{TM}$, dynamics of MCFC system is simulated with PID control loops. From the simulation, we proposed operation range which generated maximum power and efficiency in MCFC power plant.

• Solar Energy
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.13-21
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• 1988

Heat transfer phenomena in a high-temperature heat storage unit were investigated using molten salts. Carbonate salt, an equimolar mixture of $Li_2CO_3$ and $K_2CO_3$, which melts at $505^{\circ}C$ with a latent heat of 82 cal/g, was selected as the most promising latent heat storage material based on its low cost and excellent thermophysical properties at moderately high temperatures. It was also found that nitrate salts were good candidates of sensible heat storage materials. For the carbonate salt to be utilized commercially, however, several means of enhancing thermal recovery must be explored by promoting heat conduction through the solid salt formed during the heat discharge period. These would be achieved by the additions of aluminum screens and wool, and stainless fins. Finally, experimental results of moving boundary of phase change were well compared with predictied values obtained from the approximate solution.