Micro-tubular flame-assisted fuel cells running methane

Direct flame fuel cells (DFFCs) have been investigated as an alternative means of combustion based power generation devices, but current challenges for this technology have included low fuel utilization and efficiency. In order to overcome these obstacles a new micro-tubular flame-assisted fuel cell (mT-FFC) concept is developed in this work and its performance is assessed at different equivalence ratios and temperatures. The concept is based on fuel-rich combustion exhaust, with the combustion equivalence ratio controlled and the exhaust flowing through the fuel cell for complete electrochemical energy conversion. The results were compared to a hydrogen baseline with the same electron potential as the fuel-rich exhaust. The mT-FFC concept offers significant advantages including high fuel utilization and greater performance stability compared to DFFCs.