The use of methane in molten carbonate fuel cells

The present paper is a summary of the most interesting results obtained during a wide investigation on the use of natural gas as fuel for molten carbonate fuel cells. This research concerns a theoretical evaluation about the feasibility and convenience of systems based on Molten Carbonate Fuel Cells (MCFC) with configurations of direct and indirect internal reforming. Furthermore, some considerations about the open problems on these systems have been made. At last, other two alternatives on the use of methane for MCFC have been considered: the partial oxidation and the autothermal reforming process. The conclusions report what future developments can be expected by these applications.