Conventional wisdom says that coal is a dirty fuel, hydrogen fuel cell while it is a cleaner source of energy. Currently a new generation of “direct carbon fuel cell” will challenge traditional ideas. The fuel cell does not depend on the production of hydrogen is difficult, but through the oxygen and pulverized coal (or other carbon sources) to gain energy between the electrochemical reaction. Direct carbon fuel cell has the advantage of the carbon-based energy production does not need to burn, but the efficiency of coal-fired power stations can reach twice the normal.
2010，California direct carbon technology companies to develop biological basis of 10 kW of direct carbon fuel cell prototype, a company called Contained Energy Ohio, the company hopes to soon direct carbon fuel cell applications to provide relatively low-power light bulbs power. In the end, the company hopes could produce small-scale power stations built in the new or existing power stations to add cleaning the modular fuel cell.
