An experimental study of the effects of key operating parameters on the molten carbonate fuel cell performance

Proper selection of the operating conditions of molten carbonate fuel cells (MCFCs) can not only effectively improve the efficiency of power generation, but also reduce carbon emissions and help achieve the great goal of "carbon neutrality". In this study, an MCFC single-cell experimental bench with a polarization area of 225 cm(2) is built to study the effects of key operating parameters on the MCFC performance. The experimental results show that when the cell uses pure H-2 as the input fuel, the optimal operating temperature of the cell is 650 degrees C, and the performance of the cell will decrease after exceeding 650 degrees C. When pure CH4 is used as the input fuel of the cell, the cell can also undergo an electrochemical reaction to produce electricity, but the performance of the cell is low, so this MCFC single cell is not suitable for using pure CH4 as the fuel. Finally, a comparative experimental study of pure H-2 and H-2 blended with CH4 gas is conducted. The results show that the cell performance is better when the cell fuel uses a mixture of H-2 : CH4 = 9 : 1 than when pure H-2 is used as the fuel. A small amount of CH4 blended with H-2 is more conducive to electrochemical reactions.