Experimental investigation of dairy biogas as fuel for a molten carbonate fuel cell

Abstract

This article presents the results of an experimental study evaluating the performance of a molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC) using dairy biogas as a fuel source. Dairy biogas, a renewable byproduct of dairy farming, was compared with hydrogen in terms of operational efficiency. The investigation focuses on the performance parameters and efficiency metrics of MCFCs when powered by dairy biogas, relative to natural gas and hydrogen. The results demonstrate that while dairy biogas can power MCFCs, its efficiency and fuel utilization rates are lower than those of conventional fuels. This study contributes to an understanding of alternative, sustainable fuel sources for MCFC operations. During the study, the performance parameters of dairy biogas were compared with hydrogen, which served as a benchmark fuel. It was observed that in comparison with natural gas, commonly used as a fuel, dairy biogas showed lower efficiency rates and reduced fuel‐utilization factors. This suggests that although dairy biogas can be used as a fuel source for MCFCs, its effectiveness might not be on par with traditional fuels like natural gas.