Application of Biochar Derived from Different Types of Biomass and Treatment Methods as a Fuel Source for Direct Carbon Fuel Cells

Lithnes Kalaivani Palniandy, Li Wan Yoon, Wai Yin Wong, Siek-Ting Yong and Ming Meng Pang
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Lithnes Kalaivani Palniandy: School of Engineering, Faculty of Innovation and Technology, Taylor’s University Lakeside Campus, Jalan Taylor’s, Subang Jaya 47500, Selangor, Malaysia
Li Wan Yoon: School of Engineering, Faculty of Innovation and Technology, Taylor’s University Lakeside Campus, Jalan Taylor’s, Subang Jaya 47500, Selangor, Malaysia
Wai Yin Wong: Fuel Cell Institute, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi 43600, Selangor, Malaysia
Siek-Ting Yong: School of Engineering, Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, Bandar Sunway 47500, Selangor, Malaysia
Ming Meng Pang: School of Engineering, Faculty of Innovation and Technology, Taylor’s University Lakeside Campus, Jalan Taylor’s, Subang Jaya 47500, Selangor, Malaysia

Energies, 2019, vol. 12, issue 13, 1-15

Abstract: The direct carbon fuel cell (DCFC) is an emerging technology for energy production. The application of biomass in DCFCs will be a major transition from the use of coal to generate energy. However, the relationship between biomass or biochar composition and the electrochemical performance of a DCFC is yet to be studied. The performance of a DCFC using fuel sources derived from woody and non-woody biomass were compared in this study. The effect of pyrolysis temperature ranges from 550 °C to 850 °C on the preparation of biochar from rubber wood (RW) and rice husk (RH) were evaluated for power generation from DCFCs. In addition, the effect of applying chemical pre-treatment and post-treatment on biochar were further investigated for DCFC performance. In general, the power density derived from rubber wood biochar is significantly higher (2.21 mW cm −2 ) compared to rice husk biochar (0.07 mW cm −2 ). This might be due to the presence of an oxygen functional group, higher fixed carbon content, and lower ash content in rubber wood biochar. The acid and alkaline pre-treatment and post-treatment have altered the composition with a lower ash content in rubber wood biochar. The structural and compositional alterations in alkaline pre-treatment bring a positive effect in enhancing the power density from DCFCs. This study concludes that woody biochar is more suitable for DCFC application, and alkaline pre-treatment in the preparation of biochar enhances the electrochemical activity of DCFC. Further investigation on the optimization of DCFC operating conditions could be performed.

Keywords: direct carbon fuel cell; biochar; pyrolysis; power density; pre-treatment; post-treatment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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