Carbon dioxide emission reduction using molten carbonate fuel cell systems

The contribution of the molten carbonate fuel cell system (MCFCs) to carbon dioxide (CO2) emission reduction in power application is analyzed. MCFCs can separate and concentrate CO2 emitted from traditional thermal power plants (PPs) without reducing the plant's overall energy efficiency. MCFCs can also be used by itself as an effective CO2 separator or concentrator by managing the anode gas stream to increase the heat utilization of the system. The CO2 separated and concentrated by MCFCs is most effectively captured by condensation. MCFCs is currently used as a CO2 separator only to a limited extent due to its high cost and relatively small scale operation. However, MCFCs will substantially contribute to reduce CO2 emissions in power generation applications in the near future.