Investigation of Australian coals for Carbon Fuel Cells (CFC)

The carbon fuel cell is an upcoming technology for power generation from coal as it offers double the electric efficiency compared to current generation coal fired power plants. The study aimed at investigating the physical, chemical and electrochemical characteristics of coals from different Australian coal mines and their suitability in a carbon fuel cell. The work produced the highest power output for an electrolyte supported tubular cell using Australian coals. In conclusion, the study demonstrated feasibility of a scalable carbon fuel cell using real world fuels without any pre-processing.