294 Int. J. Exergy, Vol. 30, No. 3, 2019
Copyright © 2019 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.
Exergy and energy analysis of a biogas-fuelled
micro-tubular flame fuel cell
Milad Nasrzad, Samad Jafarmadar* and
Parisa Mojaver
Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Faculty of Engineering,
Urmia University,
Urmia, Iran
Email: m.nasrzad94@gmail.com
Email: s.jafarmadar@urmia.ac.ir
Email: p.mojaver@urmia.ac.ir
*Corresponding author
Abstract: In the present study, a combination of 60% CH4 and 40% CO2 was
used as the fuel. The performance of the fuel cell was studied at three different
equilibrium ratios of fuel to air entering the burner. The effects of current
density and equivalence ratio were investigated on the fuel cell voltage, voltage
drops, output power, methane molar flow rate, and efficiency. The results
indicated that a maximum power of 0.724 W, 0.955 W, and 1.201 W was
achieved for a single fuel cell at the equivalence ratios of 1.2, 1.3, and 1.4,
respectively. Exergy efficiency was increased from 21.93% to 46.68% by
reducing the current density from 1800 A/m
2
to 100 A/m
2
at the equivalence
ratio of 1.4. The maximum efficiency and the minimum inlet methane molar
flow rate were observed at the equivalence ratio of 1.4.
Keywords: energy; exergy; biogas; partial oxidation; micro-tubular flame fuel
cell; equivalence ratio.
Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Nasrzad, M.,
Jafarmadar, S. and Mojaver, P. (2019) ‘Exergy and energy analysis of a
biogas-fuelled micro-tubular flame fuel cell’, Int. J. Exergy, Vol. 30, No. 3,
pp.294–306.
Biographical notes: Milad Nasrzad is an MSC student in Urmia University.
Samad Jafarmadar received his PhD in Internal Combustion Engine from the
Tabriz University, Iran, in 2006. He has more than 16 years of teaching,
research, and administrative experiences. Currently, he is working as a Full
Professor in the Department of Engineering, Urmia University. His broad areas
of research include internal combustion engines modelling and exergy analysis
in combustion process and experimental and numerical simulation in heat
exchangers. He has published more than 260 research papers in international
and national journals/conferences.
Parisa Mojaver received his BS and MSC in Mechanical Engineering from the
Urmia University, Urmia, Iran. Currently, he is a Senior PhD student at Urmia
University and is currently working on exergy analysis in Power Plant.