(378q) Direct Power Generation from Reed Biochar in a Direct Carbon Fuel Cell

A direct carbon fuel cell (DCFC) is a promising power generation device converting the chemical energy stored in solid carbon into electrical energy through a electrochemical process with a high energy efficiency and low environmental impacts. The fuels of DCFCs originate from various carbon sources, which is a unique characteristic compared to the conventional fuel cell. The feasibility of biochar obtained from the pyrolysis of reed as the fuel of DCFCs is investigated in the present study. At 750 ^oC, the cell fed with reed biochar using a Ce_0.8Sm_0.2O_1.9 (SDC)-carbonate composite electrolyte exhibits a maximum power density of 351 mW cm^-2. The high performance of the cell is attributed to the metal species in the biochar, the low graphitization degree and the high amount of oxygen-containing functional groups of the biochar.