Which are fuel cells advantages?
This new power generation technoogy presents several advantages, such as:
- High electrical efficiency (up to 60%), even for small sized plants and at part loads.
- Cogeneration capability, with overall efficiencies exceeding 80%
- Multifuel capability. Fuel cells can be operated on Natural Gas, Methanol, Biomass derived fuels, landfill gas and syngas.
- High modularity. The plant can easily grow as energy needs increase, a significant advantage on capital expenditure.
- Very low acoustic and chemical pollution make fuel cells an ideal device to be installed even in residential areas.
Conventional energy production process
Energy producted by fuel cells
Specific MCFC adavntages
MCFC high operating temperature allows a cogeneration use of the residual heat.
A further adavantage specific to MCFC is the capability to act as an active CO2 concentrator if fed on the oxidant side by the exhaust of a conventional thermal plant. In this case the Fuel Cell acts as an active filter able to concentrate the CO2 present in the exhaust, making it available for further industrial applications or for “sequestration”.