Performance analysis of a molten carbonate fuel cell

A mathematical model is developed using MATLAB to evaluate the current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of a Molten Carbonate Fuel Cell (MCFC), and validated against experimental results from literature with good agreement. Performance variations were identified with respect to temperature, pressure, and exchange current density, and the effects of reactant flow rates and heat generation are evaluated. Finally, a parametric study is conducted to determine the optimum operating conditions. Results show that a pressure increase from 1 to 3 atm enhanced performance, whereas increasing the operating temperature from 590 to 650 degrees C resulted in decreased performance. Varying the exchange current density exerts a significant effect, directly proportional to that of the cell voltage. Overall, performance is greatest at higher pressure and current density. The heat generated increases exponentially with current, dissipating 4.5 W at 16 A. The model is an effective numerical tool for operational analysis of MCFC and can be further developed to include variation across the cell.