Direct carbon solid oxide fuel cells powered by rice husk biochar
Weizi Cai
College of Engineering, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
Key Laboratory of Fuel Cell Technology of Guangdong Province, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
Search for more papers by this authorXin Tong
College of Engineering, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
Search for more papers by this authorXiaomin Yan
Guangzhou Key Laboratory for Surface Chemistry of Energy Materials, New Energy Research Institute, School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
Search for more papers by this authorHualing Li
Guangzhou Institute of Energy Testing, Guangzhou, China
Search for more papers by this authorYuzhi Li
College of Engineering, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
Search for more papers by this authorXinyu Gao
College of Engineering, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
Search for more papers by this authorYanning Guo
College of Engineering, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
Search for more papers by this authorWeichuang Wu
College of Engineering, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
Search for more papers by this authorDaishuang Fu
College of Engineering, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
Search for more papers by this authorXingkai Huang
College of Engineering, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
Search for more papers by this authorJiang Liu
Guangzhou Key Laboratory for Surface Chemistry of Energy Materials, New Energy Research Institute, School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Hailin Wang
College of Engineering, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
Correspondence
Hailin Wang, College of Engineering, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510640, China.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorWeizi Cai
College of Engineering, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
Key Laboratory of Fuel Cell Technology of Guangdong Province, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
Search for more papers by this authorXin Tong
College of Engineering, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
Search for more papers by this authorXiaomin Yan
Guangzhou Key Laboratory for Surface Chemistry of Energy Materials, New Energy Research Institute, School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
Search for more papers by this authorHualing Li
Guangzhou Institute of Energy Testing, Guangzhou, China
Search for more papers by this authorYuzhi Li
College of Engineering, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
Search for more papers by this authorXinyu Gao
College of Engineering, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
Search for more papers by this authorYanning Guo
College of Engineering, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
Search for more papers by this authorWeichuang Wu
College of Engineering, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
Search for more papers by this authorDaishuang Fu
College of Engineering, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
Search for more papers by this authorXingkai Huang
College of Engineering, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
Search for more papers by this authorJiang Liu
Guangzhou Key Laboratory for Surface Chemistry of Energy Materials, New Energy Research Institute, School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Hailin Wang
College of Engineering, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
Correspondence
Hailin Wang, College of Engineering, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510640, China.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorFunding information: Guangzhou Science and Technology Project, Grant/Award Number: 202102020685; National Natural Science Foundation of China, Grant/Award Numbers: 91745203, U1601207; Science and Technology planning project of Guangdong Province, Grant/Award Number: 2017B010122001; the Research Fund Program of Key Laboratory of Fuel Cell Technology of Guangdong Province, Grant/Award Number: None
Summary
The inefficient application of fossil energy is one of the fundamental factors leading to global warming. Bioenergy is a renewable energy and also a carbon-neutral energy, with advantages of extensive sources, diverse products, and environmental friendliness. Direct carbon solid oxide fuel cell (DC-SOFC) is a novel high-efficient bioenergy technology, which is able to directly convert the chemical energy of biochar into power. A biochar derived from rice husk is applied to power an electrolyte-supported DC-SOFC. The maximum power density of the cell with pure rice husk biochar is 135 mW cm−2 at 850°C, which enhances to 214 mW cm−2 after using a Boudouard reaction catalyst. The microstructures, components and thermochemical parameters of the biochar are characterized and analyzed. The results show that the microstructure of the rice husk biochar is rough and porous. Na, K, Mg, Al, and other elements are found to present in the biochar. The physicochemical properties of the biochar and the enhanced electrical output of the DC-SOFCs are demonstrated and discussed in detail.
Open Research
DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
REFERENCES
- 1Vicente-Serrano SM, Beguería S, López-Moreno J. A multiscalar drought index sensitive to global warming: the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index. J Climate. 2010; 23: 1696-1718.
- 2Cai W, Zhou Q, Xie Y, et al. A direct carbon solid oxide fuel cell operated on a plant derived biofuel with natural catalyst. Appl Energy. 2016; 179: 1232-1241.
- 3Liu J, Zhou M, Zhang Y, et al. Electrochemical oxidation of carbon at high temperature: principles and applications. Energy Fuel. 2017; 32: 4107-4117.
- 4Cao D, Sun Y, Wang G. Direct carbon fuel cell: fundamentals and recent developments. J Power Sources. 2007; 167: 250-257.
- 5Rady AC, Giddey S, Kulkarni A, Badwal SPS, Bhattacharya S, Ladewig BP. Direct carbon fuel cell operation on brown coal. Appl Energy. 2014; 120: 56-64.
- 6Wu Z, Zhu P, Yao J, et al. Combined biomass gasification, SOFC, IC engine, and waste heat recovery system for power and heat generation: energy, exergy, exergoeconomic, environmental (4E) evaluations. Appl Energy. 2020; 279:115794.
- 7Nakagawa N, Ishida M. Performance of an internal direct-oxidation carbon fuel cell and its evaluation by graphic exergy analysis. Ind Eng Chem Res. 1988; 27: 1181-1185.
- 8Xie Y, Tang Y, Liu J. A verification of the reaction mechanism of direct carbon solid oxide fuel cells. J Solid State Electrochem. 2013; 17: 121-127.
- 9Elleuch A, Boussetta A, Yu J, Halouani K, Li Y. Experimental investigation of direct carbon fuel cell fueled by almond shell biochar: part I. Physico-chemical characterization of the biochar fuel and cell performance examination. Int J Hydrogen Energy. 2013; 38:16590-16604.
- 10Dudek M, Tomczyk P, Socha R, Skrzypkiewicz M, Jewulski J. Biomass fuels for direct carbon fuel cell with solid oxide electrolyte. Int J Electrochem Sci. 2013; 8: 3229-3253.
- 11Munnings C, Kulkarni A, Giddey S, Badwal S. Biomass to power conversion in a direct carbon fuel cell. Int J Hydrogen Energy. 2014; 39:12377-12385.
- 12Zhou Q, Cai W, Zhang Y, et al. Electricity generation from corn cob char though a direct carbon solid oxide fuel cell. Biomass Bioenergy. 2016; 91: 250-258.
- 13Yu J, Zhao Y, Li Y. Utilization of corn cob biochar in a direct carbon fuel cell. J Power Sources. 2014; 270: 312-317.
- 14Cai W, Liu J, Liu P, et al. A direct carbon solid oxide fuel cell fueled with char from wheat straw. Int J Energy Res. 2019; 43: 2468-2477.
- 15Zhu X, Li Y, Lü Z. Continuous conversion of biomass wastes in a La0.75Sr0.25Cr0.5Mn0.5O3–δ based carbon–air battery. Int J Hydrogen Energy. 2016; 41: 5057-5062.
- 16Qiu Q, Zhou M, Cai W, et al. A comparative investigation on direct carbon solid oxide fuel cells operated with fuels of biochar derived from wheat straw, corncob, and bagasse. Biomass Bioenergy. 2019; 121: 56-63.
- 17Zhang W, Chen W, Meng J. Utilization potential, industrial model and development strategy of straw biochar in Northeast China. Sci Agric Sinica. 2019; 52: 2406-2424.
- 18Tang Y. Direct carbon solid oxide fuel cell. Guangzhou: South China University of Technology; 2011.
- 19Cai W, Liu J, Yu F, et al. A high performance direct carbon solid oxide fuel cell fueled by Ca-loaded activated carbon. Int J Hydrogen Energy. 2017; 42:21167-21176.
- 20Cai W, Zhou Q, Xie Y, Liu J. A facile method of preparing Fe-loaded activated carbon fuel for direct carbon solid oxide fuel cells. Fuel. 2015; 159: 887-893.
- 21Cai W, Liu P, Chen B, et al. Plastic waste fuelled solid oxide fuel cell system for power and carbon nanotube cogeneration. Int J Hydrogen Energy. 2019; 44: 1867-1876.
- 22Wu H, Xiao J, Zeng X, et al. A high performance direct carbon solid oxide fuel cell–a green pathway for brown coal utilization. Appl Energy. 2019; 248: 679-687.
- 23Bucher E, Gspan C, Hofer F, Sitte W. Post-test analysis of silicon poisoning and phase decomposition in the SOFC cathode material La0.58Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3−δ by transmission electron microscopy. Solid State Ion. 2013; 230: 7-11.
- 24Xiong Y, Yamaji K, Horita T, et al. Sulfur poisoning of SOFC cathodes. J Electrochem Soc. 2009; 156: B588.
- 25Haga K, Shiratori Y, Ito K, Sasaki K. Chlorine poisoning of SOFC Ni-cermet anodes. J Electrochem Soc. 2008; 155:B1233.
- 26Liu J, Barnett SA. Operation of anode-supported solid oxide fuel cells on methane and natural gas. Solid State Ion. 2003; 158: 11-16.
- 27Lin Y, Zhan Z, Liu J, Barnett SA. Direct operation of solid oxide fuel cells with methane fuel. Solid State Ion. 2005; 176: 1827-1835.
- 28Tang Y, Liu J. Effect of anode and Boudouard reaction catalysts on the performance of direct carbon solid oxide fuel cells. Int J Hydrogen Energy. 2010; 35:11188-11193.
- 29Ohme H, Suzuki T. Mechanisms of CO2 gasification of carbon catalyzed with group VIII metals. 1. Iron-catalyzed CO2 gasification. Energy Fuel. 1996; 10: 980-987.
- 30McKee DW. Effect of metallic impurities on the gasification of graphite in water vapor and hydrogen. Carbon. 1974; 12: 453-464.
- 31Furimsky E, Sears P, Suzuki T. Iron-catalyzed gasification of char in carbon dioxide. Energy Fuel. 1988; 2: 634-639.
- 32Yang B, Ran R, Zhong Y, Su C, Tadé MO, Shao Z. A carbon–air battery for high power generation. Angew Chem Int Ed. 2015; 54: 3722-3725.
- 33Li S, Lee AC, Mitchell RE, Gür TM. Direct carbon conversion in a helium fluidized bed fuel cell. Solid State Ion. 2008; 179: 1549-1552.
- 34An W, Sun X, Jiao Y, et al. A solid oxide carbon fuel cell operating on pomelo peel char with high power output. Int J Energy Res. 2019; 43: 2514-2526.
- 35Rady AC, Giddey S, Kulkarni A, Badwal SP, Bhattacharya S. Direct carbon fuel cell operation on brown coal with a Ni-GDC-YSZ anode. Electrochim Acta. 2015; 178: 721-731.
- 36Jiao Y, Xue X, An W, et al. Purified high-sulfur coal as a fuel for direct carbon solid oxide fuel cells. Int J Energy Res. 2019; 43: 2501-2513.
- 37Liu J, Qiao J, Yuan H, et al. Ni modified Ce(Mn, Fe)O2 cermet anode for high-performance direct carbon fuel cell. Electrochim Acta. 2017; 232: 174-181.
- 38Li J, Wei B, Wang C, Zhou Z, Lü Z. High-performance and stable La0.8Sr0.2Fe0.9Nb0.1O3-δ anode for direct carbon solid oxide fuel cells fueled by activated carbon and corn straw derived carbon. Int J Hydrogen Energy. 2018; 43:12358-12367.
- 39Wang C, Lü Z, Su C, et al. Effects of discharge mode and fuel treating temperature on the fuel utilization of direct carbon solid oxide fuel cell. Int J Hydrogen Energy. 2019; 44: 1174-1181.
- 40Qiao J, Chen H, Wang Z, Sun W, Li H, Sun K. Enhancing the catalytic activity of Y0.08Sr0.92TiO3−δ anodes through in situ cu exsolution for direct carbon solid oxide fuel cells. Ind Eng Chem Res. 2020; 59:13105-13112.
- 41Bai Y, Liu Y, Tang Y, Xie Y, Liu J. Direct carbon solid oxide fuel cell—a potential high performance battery. Int J Hydrogen Energy. 2011; 36: 9189-9194.
