Efficiency of methane conversion to electricity in simplecycled
combustion engines such as Brayton-cycled gas
turbines [1] can achieve only up to around 35e40% due to the
thermodynamic limitations of the cycle, while the efficiency
of H2 conversion to electricity in fuel cells is expected to be as
high as 55e60% or more. In fuel cells, a fuel is converted to
electrical energy through electrochemical reactions instead of
standard high-temperature combustion cycles. The efficiency
limitations (approximately 35e40%) of the Carnot or Brayton
cycles are overcome in this way, and the theoretical efficiency
is substantially higher than that of simple combustion cycles