Title: Exergy and energy analysis of a biogas-fuelled micro-tubular flame fuel cell

Authors: Milad Nasrzad; Samad Jafarmadar; Parisa Mojaver

Addresses: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran

Abstract: In the present study, a combination of 60% CH₄ and 40% CO₂ was used as the fuel. The performance of the fuel cell was studied at three different equilibrium ratios of fuel to air entering the burner. The effects of current density and equivalence ratio were investigated on the fuel cell voltage, voltage drops, output power, methane molar flow rate, and efficiency. The results indicated that a maximum power of 0.724 W, 0.955 W, and 1.201 W was achieved for a single fuel cell at the equivalence ratios of 1.2, 1.3, and 1.4, respectively. Exergy efficiency was increased from 21.93% to 46.68% by reducing the current density from 1800 A/m₂ to 100 A/m₂ at the equivalence ratio of 1.4. The maximum efficiency and the minimum inlet methane molar flow rate were observed at the equivalence ratio of 1.4.

Keywords: energy; exergy; biogas; partial oxidation; micro-tubular flame fuel cell; equivalence ratio.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEX.2019.103184

International Journal of Exergy, 2019 Vol.30 No.3, pp.294 - 306

Received: 16 Apr 2019
Accepted: 18 Jul 2019
Published online: 21 Oct 2019 *

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