Mixed fuel use
The fuel cells recommended by True Energy are designed to be resilient and able to cope with fuel impurities.
This means they can be run on a variety of fuels. We have listed this range of fuels below along with some comments about the way that the "Hot Module" fuel cells we recommend react to these inputs.
From natural gas to biogas
Not just natural gas but also sewage gas, residual industry gases, coal gas, firedamp, landfill gas or biogas are all welcome fuel gases for the HotModule.
MCFC (Molten Carbonate Fuel Cell ) technology makes more immediate, more efficient and cleaner use of the energy contained in biogenous gases than other fuel cell technologies.
Carbon Dioxide in the fuel cell
The CO2 that is normally contained within the gas is used as a reactant and increases the fuel cell's efficiency.
Polluting gases used for Energy
The fuel cell can also be observed to transform otherwise waste or polluting gas such CO (Carbon Monoxide) or Ammonia into useful energy.
Suitable fuel gases for the HotModule are:
Gases from anaerobic fermentation
- Biogas,
- fermentation gas,
- sewage gas and digester gas
- belong to the group of renewable energies.
Are generated from organic substances (also organic refuse) in a natural bacterial process under airtight conditions.
Synthesis gases
The combustibles of synthesis gases mainly consist of hydrogen (H2) and carbon monoxide (CO) in alternating mixing ratios. Apart from residual industry gases, scavenger gases, coke oven gases and blast furnace gases, gases extracted from thermal gasification, especially from wood, paper, cardboard and refuse as well as other organic (waste) materials, plastic material, oil residues and fats (mineral and cooking fats) also belong to this group.
Alcohol and ester
- Methanol (CH3OH)
- ethyl alcohol (C2H5OH)
- methyl ester (CH3CHO)
These combustibles often derive from biomass and therefore belong to renewable energy sources. They can also be extracted from fossil energy sources.
Fuel cell efficiency
Using gases containing methane, electronic efficiency of the HotModule is in the range of 48 per cent. Using synthesis gases, efficiency is about 42 per cent, with alcohol on the other hand it is at about 49 per cent.
Energy from renewable raw materials
The use of biogas enables a CO2 neutral power generation. During energy generation, the CO2 (carbon dioxide) levels correspond to the amounts absorbed by the plants during their growth. This form of energy production is rewarded and encouraged on a European-wide scale.
In Germany, the renewable energy law (EEG) and the energy industry law (EnWG) make high feed rates possible, considerably improving the profitability of a HotModule.
In considering a closed cycle energy facility
The HotModule excels through extremely low pollutant emission and as a result of its efficiency, comparatively low specific carbon dioxide emission. The discharged air of the HotModule contains next to steam about 6 per cent of CO2 so that it can be directly employed as fertiliser gas in green houses - the cycle is complete.
Ability to switch fuels
As such you will be ideally placed to benefit from advances in bio-fuel technologies and, since they can be run on pure Hydrogen, you will be ideally placed to benefit from any future Hydrogen distribution network.
