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The HCE Company
The IPFC Process


What is the IPFC Process? The Integrated Plasma Fuel Cell (IPFC) process, in its most fundamental form, combines the operation of two technologies: the electric arc Hydrogen Plasma Black Reactor and the Direct Carbon Fuel Cell.

How do the IPFC Process Components Work? Simply, the electric arc Hydrogen Plasma Black Reactor cracks a fossil or biomass fuel into two separate streams of carbon and hydrogen. The hydrogen product is captured and either sold or otherwise utilized. The carbon is transferred to a Direct Carbon Fuel Cell, which electro-chemically combines it with oxygen from the air to make electricity and a highly concentrated carbon dioxide gas.

Flow Diagram
(Click Image for a larger view 1247 x 800)

More on the HPBR Component. The electric arc Hydrogen Plasma Black Reactor electro-thermally cracks the fuel into its elemental components, hydrogen and carbon, using a hydrogen plasma generated by an electric arc. The electric arc excites the hydrogen, which in turn creates the plasma.

The hydrogen plasma facilitates the cracking of the fuel to hydrogen and carbon. The ultra high temperature in the plasma converts the fuel rapidly to its elements, which are the only species that are stable at the 1,500oC operating temperature. When oxygen is present in the fuel, as in coal and biomass, carbon monoxide is also formed as a stable specie.

More on the DCFC Component. The Direct Carbon Fuel Cell utilizes an electro-chemical process, that is, electricity is produced by a chemical process. It is similar to the well-known hydrogen fuel cell in that the electricity is made as a result of combining two chemical elements: in this case, instead of hydrogen and oxygen, it combines carbon and oxygen. The process of combining carbon and oxygen produces heat and direct current electricity.

Due to the high efficiencies of the IPFC components, less than 10% of the electricity produced by the Direct Carbon Fuel Cell (using a coal fuel) is expected to be consumed by the electric arc Hydrogen Plasma Black Reactor. The remainder will be available for sale.

Summary with Pictures. Please read our summary of the Integrated Plasma Fuel Cell process to see pictures of the components with a little more detailed explanation.



Last modified 07-MAY-2011
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