A desulfurization fuel cell with alkali and sulfuric acid byproducts: a prototype and a model

This work aims at the simultaneous recovery of energy and chemical products from waste and effluent gases. The feasibility of a sulfite/air fuel cell with alkali and sulfuric acid byproducts has been demonstrated by a prototype continuous flow cell and its mathematical model. A 2-D mathematical model is built successfully. The effects of NaOH concentration, Na2SO3 concentration, and flow rates on the fuel cell performances have been particularly investigated. The highest open cell voltage is 0.94 V. The sulfite/air self-driven fuel cell can achieve a maximum discharge current density of 20.07 mA cm−2 at 20.4 °C. The highest power density is 1.23 mW cm−2 at 9.87 mA cm−2. The simulation results are well coupled with that of experiment. Such a strategy has shed a light on cell's scale-up and further development towards commercialisation.