Coal and Biomass Utilization in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Coal is used for generating electricity and it will continue to be used in this manner until non-fossil fuel based power generation technologies are commercially proven. Since CO2, a greenhouse gas, is a main product of the conversion process, it is prudent to develop technologies that facilitate its removal from exhaust streams before it is released to the atmosphere. The development of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) is a step in this direction. Converting coal or biomass to electricity in an electrochemical scheme is a more energy efficient process than converting these fuels to electricity in either a combustion or integrated gasification combined cycle scheme. The coal conversion process most compatible with SOFC applications is gasification. In this paper, issues associated with integrating gasification and SOFC technologies for power generation are discussed with attention given to syngas composition and the formation of species that have adverse impact on SOFC performance.