Going for the burn

Research into an innovative fuel cell concept that uses solid carbon is to be undertaken at the University of St Andrews.

According to the project’s leader, Prof John Irvine, there are considerable advantages to using carbon in fuel cells. ‘It has a much higher specific energy density than hydrogen,’ said Irvine. ‘This means that you have to carry a much smaller amount of fuel, which in turn means that much smaller fuel cells can be developed.’

Fuel cells are far more efficient than burning fossil fuels in power plants to drive boilers and dynamos. The theoretical efficiencies of hydrogen or methane fuel cells are 69 per cent and 90 per cent respectively, compared to 40 per cent for typical power plants. The carbon-oxygen reaction that drives a carbon conversion fuel cell is unique in that it is theoretically possible for it to be 100 per cent efficient, with all the potential combustion heat converted to power.