Interrelation of anode and cathode processes in electrochemical carbon oxidation in a fuel cell with molten carbonate electrolyte

Abstract

The object to be investigated is a fuel cell with a free molten carbonate electrolyte, which ensures direct electrochemical oxidation of solid hydrocarbons. The polarization characteristics of anode and cathode fuel cell assemblies, and also composition and gas release rate of gaseous products of anode reactions are studied. It is shown that the maximum voltages in the open cell circuit are obtained when the oxygen-carbon dioxide ratio in the cathode gas mixture corresponds to stoichiometric reaction coefficients that ensure replenishment of ions in electrolyte. However, the maximum current density values were obtained with a low carbon dioxide content. It is found that at high current values, anode potential fluctuations are observed. It is shown that carbon monoxide is the product of anode processes, along with carbon dioxide. The carbon monoxide content grows with temperature. The carbon dioxide content grows with increasing current in the fuel cell and with growing carbon dioxide content in cathode gases. The release rate of carbon oxidation products nonlinearly depends on the current value in the fuel cell. It is concluded that there is interrelation between the mass-exchange processes in the fuel cell, which is determined by the balance between cathode gas incoming into the reaction zone, the number of molecules generated during fuel oxidation, molecule dissolution and diffusion into the cathode region, and also the amount of gas released in the form of bubbles.