Ethanol reforming for supplying molten carbonate fuel cells

An interesting application of agricultural renewable sources is the use of ethanol for supplying molten carbonate fuel cells (MCFCs). However, ethanol has to be converted into hydrogen by a steam-reforming process. MCFCs are suitable for these applications due to their tolerability to the impurities of the reaction products and their high working temperatures (600–650°C) which allow to integrate the reforming stage to the stack. Ethanol-reforming tests were performed by using pure ethanol or bioethanol obtained by sugar beet syrup fermentation. Tests were performed by a specific reactor designed for its installation into the anodic compartment of small-size MCFCs.