Review—Bibliometrics and Current Research Trends on Direct Carbon-Solid Oxide Fuel Cells Utilizing Biomass as Fuel

Abstract

Biomass is considered a viable alternative source of energy after thermochemical conversion techniques and activation methods are adopted for its conversion to biochar and activated carbon, respectively. This work provides the bibliometrics and recent developments on Direct Carbon-Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (DC-SOFCs) using biochar as fuel and further enhanced through carbon activation. We review the dominant researchers from different countries and their contributions to the development of DC-SOFC to provide an overview of the physicochemical characteristics of the biochar and its corresponding effect in the operation of a DC-SOFC in terms of electrochemical performance when used as fuel. Data reveal that there are other biomasses which can still be pyrolyzed and used as DC-SOFC fuel. This review covers that, among the alternative carbon fuels to date, pomelo peel char is the most efficient and effective biochar fuel for DC-SOFC which yields the best output in terms of parameters such as peak power density and fuel utilization rate. Activation method as applied in the biochar fuel is an effective way to enhance the performance of the fuel cell. Prospects and challenges on how to address identified gaps for DC-SOFC with high power output operated with biomass as fuel are discussed.