A CARBONATE FUEL CELL MONOLITH FOR LOW-COST AND HIGH POWER DENSITY OPERATION

THIS PROJECT IS AIMED AT IMPROVEMENT IN POWER DENSITY AND LOWERING OF THE CARBONATE FUEL CELL COSTS. THE PRESENT GENERATION OF CARBONATE FUEL CELLS IN QUITE ATTRACTIVE FOR BASELOAD UTILITYAPPLICATIONS BECAUSE OF THEIR HIGH EFFICIENCY, SUPERIOR ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE, AND COMPETITIVE COST OF ELECTRICITY. HOWEVER, COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS OF CARBONATE FUEL CELLS CAN BE SIGNIFICANTLY EXPANDED IF THE POWER DENSITY IS INCREASED BY A FACTOR OF THREE (from one to three kw/(2). SUCH AN INCREASE WOULD NOT ONLY LOWER THE POWER PLANT AND STACK REPLACEMENT COST, BUT ALSO IMPROVE VOLUMETRIC AND WEIGHT DENSITIES. WHILE INCREMENTAL IMPROVEMENTS IN STACK PERFORMANCE HAVE BEEN CARRIED OUT UNDER DOE/ELECTRIC POWER RESEARCH INSTITUTE AND OTHER PROGRAMS, THE EMPHASIS OF THIS PROJECT WILL BE TO ACHIEVE A QUANTUM JUMP INPOWER DENSITY WITH ACCOMPANYING COST BENEFITS BY INNOVATIVE CELL DESIGN. A MONOLITHIC CARBONATE FUEL CELL DESIGN USING THIN ELECTRODES IS PLANNED IN PHASE I FOR ACHIEVING VERY HIGH POWER DENSITY OPERATION AND REDUCTION OF CELL MATERIALS USE. THIS CELL DESIGN MAKES HIGH POWER DENSITY OPERATION FEASIBLE BY PROVIDING 12% HIGHER ACTIVE AREA WITHIN THE SAME GEOMETRIC AREA, LOWERING MASS TRANSFER RESISTANCE OF THE ANODE AS WELL AS THE CATHODE AND REDUCING CELL INTERNAL RESISTANCE BY ABOUT 60%.