Measurement of friction factor of nickel foam anode at high temperature condition of carbonate flow in direct coal fuel cell system

In this study, the high-temperature hydraulic characteristics of an actual molten carbonate mixture flow through a porous nickel foam were examined. The velocity and head loss were measured at the high-temperature and flow conditions used in a practical direct coal fuel cell (DCFC) system. Different pore and tube diameters were used for the nickel foam. The experimental data for the friction factor and Reynolds number were compared at the Darcy flow regime with the classical relationship from the theoretical prediction. Finally, the relative contribution of the tube walls and pores on the head loss (pressure drop) behavior were described.