Fuel cells for carbon capture applications

The harmful effect of carbon pollution leads to depletion of the ozone layer, which is one of the main challenges confronting the world. Although progress is made in developing different carbon dioxide (CO2) capturing methods, these methods are still expensive and face several technical challenges. Fuel cells (FCs) are efficient energy converting devices that produce energy via an electrochemical process. Recently varying kinds of fuel cells are considered as an effective method for CO2 capturing and/or conversion. Among the different types of fuel cells, solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), molten carbonate fuel cells (MCFCs), and microbial fuel cells (MFCs) demonstrated promising results in this regard. High-temperature fuel cells such as SOFCs and MCFCs are effectively used for CO2 capturing through their electrolyte and have shown promising results in combination with power plants or industrial effluents. An algae-based microbial fuel cell is an electrochemical device used to capture and convert carbon dioxide through the photosynthesis process using algae strains to organic matters and simultaneously power generation. This review present a brief background about carbon capture and storage techniques and the technological advancement related to carbon dioxide captured by different fuel cells, including molten carbonate fuel cells, solid oxide fuel cells, and algae-based fuel cells. (C) 2020 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Automated summary

The harmful effect of carbon pollution leads to depletion of the ozone layer, and while progress is being made in developing different carbon dioxide capturing methods, they are still expensive and face technical challenges. Fuel cells are seen as an effective method for CO2 capturing and/or conversion, with solid oxide fuel cells, molten carbonate fuel cells, and microbial fuel cells showing promising results in this regard. High-temperature fuel cells such as SOFCs and MCFCs are effectively used for CO2 capturing, while algae-based microbial fuel cells capture and convert carbon dioxide through photosynthesis.