Performance analysis of molten carbonate fuel cell using a Li/Na electrolyte

Several years ago, Li/Na carbonate (Li2CO3/Na2CO3) was developed as the electrolyte of molten carbonate fuel cells (MCFCs) in place of the usual Li/K carbonate (Li2CO3/K2CO3) to the advantage of a higher ionic conductivity and lower rate of cathode NiO dissolution. To estimate the potential of Li/Na carbonate as the MCFC electrolyte, the dependence of the cell performance on the operating conditions and the behavior during long-term performance was investigated in several bench-scale cell operations. The obtained data on the performance of Li/Na cells was analyzed to estimate the impact of voltage losses by using a performance model and discussed in comparison with the data of conventional Li/K cell performance.