Patent attributes
A natural gas fueled, direct carbon fuel cell produces electricity and hydrogen. It adds to an existing direct carbon fuel cell a carbon dioxide injection port to the cathode compartment; a natural gas feed port to the anode compartment, a hydrogen extraction port from the anode compartment, and a carbon dioxide extraction port from the anode compartment. To improve hydrogen generation efficiency, the anode compartment may have a louvered baffle dividing the anode compartment into an ante-chamber and a main chamber. The louvered baffle preferably has an upper section with slats angled from bottom to top and a lower section with slats angled from top to bottom. A heat exchanger is preferably included to pre-heat natural gas feed from hot hydrogen effluent. A second heat exchanger is preferably included to pre-heat oxygen-containing gas with hot nitrogen and carbon dioxide effluents.
