A direct carbon fuel cell (DCFC) can produce electricity with both superior electrical efficiency and fuel utilisation compared to all other types of fuel cells. Although the first DCFC prototype was proposed in 1896, there was, until the 1970s, little sustained effort to investigate further, because of technology development issues. Interest in DCFCs has recently been reinvigorated as a possible method of replacing conventional coal-fired power plants to meet the demands for lower CO₂ emissions, and indeed for efficient utilisation of waste derived chars. In this article, recent developments in direct carbon conversion are reviewed, with the principal emphasis on the materials involved. The development of electrolytes, anodes and cathodes as well as fuel sources is examined. The activity and chemical stability of the anode materials are a critical concern addressed in the development of new materials. Redox media of molten carbonate or molten metal facilitating the transportation of ions offer promising possibilities for carbon oxidation. The suitability of different carbon fuels in various DCFC systems, in terms of crystal structure, surface properties, impurities and particle size, is also discussed. We explore the influence of a variety of parameters on the electrochemical performance of DCFCs, with regard to their open circuit voltage, power output and lifetime. The challenges faced in developing DCFCs are summarised, and potential prospects of the system are outlined.

中文翻译：

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开发直接碳燃料电池的挑战

与所有其他类型的燃料电池相比，直接碳燃料电池（DCFC）可以产生具有优异的电效率和燃料利用率的电能。尽管第一个DCFC原型是在1896年提出的，但是直到1970年代，由于技术发展的问题，一直没有进行进一步研究的持续努力。最近，人们对DCFC的兴趣重新激发，作为替代常规燃煤电厂以满足较低CO ₂需求的一种可能方法排放，实际上是为了有效利用废物衍生的焦炭。在本文中，对直接碳转化的最新进展进行了综述，重点是所涉及的材料。检查了电解质，阳极和阴极以及燃料源的发展。负极材料的活性和化学稳定性是新材料开发中解决的关键问题。熔融碳酸盐或熔融金属的氧化还原介质有助于离子的运输，为碳氧化提供了有希望的可能性。还讨论了不同碳燃料在各种DCFC系统中的适用性，包括晶体结构，表面性质，杂质和粒径。我们探索了各种参数对DCFC电化学性能的影响，关于它们的开路电压，功率输出和寿命。总结了开发DCFC所面临的挑战，并概述了该系统的潜在前景。