Hydrogen fuel cells must be made air tight to prevent mixing hydrogen and oxygen, an explosive combination. Is there a similar explosion hazard in the Direct Carbon Fuel Cell?
No. Carbon fuel in the Direct Carbon Fuel Cell, wetted with salt, is not explosive even when exposed to air at 800 C. For process integrity, carbon cells need only be liquid tight. 19. Question: Anode Stability in Large-Scale Cells. Non-uniform current density in high temperature hydrogen fuel cells deleteriously affects anode stability and has been a significant barrier to high current density in large cells. Is this a limitation for the Direct Carbon Fuel Cell? Answer: No. The carbon anode in the Direct Carbon Fuel Cell uses turbostratic carbons, which have already been scaled to 300,000 amp sizes–in the form of aluminum smelters. In the Direct Carbon Fuel Cell, the current density remains uniform, and there is no change in activity of carbon (unit activity) or carbon dioxide (1 atm fugacity) as you move from one part of the fuel cell to another. This is a significant difference because such large cells are considered impossible with hydrogen. 20. Question: Corrosion.
