THEORETICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF MCFC PERFORMANCE

In this paper, both the experimental apparatus and procedure for the test of Molten Carbonate Fuel Cells (MCFCs) are described in detail, while the effects on the electrochemical kinetics of the operating parameters and the diffusion phenomena of the reactants in the porous electrodes are discussed. For example, starting from the study of single-cell characteristic-curves, voltage dependence on gas compositions and transport coefficients is modelled obtaining a good agreement with experimental data.
In addition, the primary author's PhD work in the framework of an ongoing co-operation between Ansaldo Fuel Cells S.p.A. (AFCo) and the Department of Environmental Engineering of the University of Genova (DIAM) is described.
The preliminary results shown here could contribute to provide guidelines for a safe and efficient MCFC operation.