TMI Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Operation on Animal-Waste Derived Ammonia Fuel

Biomass offers extremely high potential as a carbon-neutral fuel source for power generation. Ammonia pollution from agricultural sources, particularly animal waste presents a serious chronic problem. Technology Management, Inc (TMI) proposes to demonstrate how ammonia contaminated biogas produced from wet biomass can be converted into useful electricity and heat by employing the Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC), an energy conversion device now being developed for commercialization. TMI proposes to operate an SOFC system on ammonia contaminated biogas directly as a renewable fuel and produce clean, on site electricity, thereby simultaneously removing a harmful pollutant while reducing the expense and use of conventional grid-based electric power. Operation of an SOFC on an otherwise harmful pollutant (ammonia) would not only demonstrate onsite waste to energy conversion, but would also reduce dependence on grid-based electricity and the burning fossil fuels.