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Gold/Mining/Energy : SOFC vrs PEM Fuel Cells (Debate Forum)
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To: GLE who wrote ()6/28/1999 10:39:00 AM
From: Daniel Chisholm  Read Replies (1) of 79
 
A question on fuel efficiency.

I am interested in learning what sort of efficiency is obtained by either type (PEM or SOFC) when a reformer is used.

My understanding is that a reformer takes a hydrocarbon fuel (natural gas, alcohol, gasoline, etc) and breaks it down like this:

CnHm --> nCO + (0.5m)H2

The H2 is used by the fuel cell to produce electricity at very high efficiency rates (far higher than Carnot efficiencies). What sort of efficiency are we looking at there? 80%? 95%?

Now as far as I can tell, the CO is a waste product that the fuel cell cannot use. At best, an integrated system can burn it and extract work from it at Carnot-esque efficiencies. At worst, it is completely wasted. Somewhere in between these two, perhaps your application might have a use for waste heat (e.g., a car heater, or a regenerative air conditioning system)

So aren't you forced to essentially throw away the energy contained in the carbon part of your hydrocarbon fuel?

- Daniel
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