1.

Executive Summary

iii

2.

Introduction

1

3.

Background

1

3.1

Gasification

1

3.2

Fuel Cells

2

3.2.1

Fuel

2

3.2.2

Size

2

3.2.3

Special Characteristics

3

4.

Equipment and Analysis

3

4.1

Gasifier

3

4.2

Latent heat ballast system to produce medium Btu value gas

7

4.3

Fuel Cells

8

4.3.1

Classification

8

4.3.2

Types of Systems

8

4.3.3

Fuel cell Stack Performance

10

4.4

Power Plants

11

4.4.1

The Direct Fuel Cell

11

4.4.2

Megawatt Size Power Plant Design and Operation

12

4.5

Integration of a biomass gasifier with a fuel cell

14

5.

Results and Discussion

15

5.1

Feedstock Characterization

15

5.2

Biomass Gasification testing

17

5.2.1

Trace Contaminants in fuel gas

19

5.3

Biomass gasification/fuel cell system analysis

19

5.3.1

Direct Carbonate Fuel Cell power plant

20

5.3.2

Direct Carbonate Fuel Cells on gasified seed corn

20

5.3.3

Direct Carbonate Fuel Cells on gasified seed corn

22

5.3.4

Direct Carbonate Fuel Cells on fuel from an ISU latent heat ballasted gasifier

23

5.4

Thermal Integration of the gasifier with the fuel cell power plant

24

6.

Economics of Biomass Gasification/Fuel Cell Systems

26

8.

References

27