how is natural gas utilsed in this process ??, page-10

Sorry to put a dampener on things but turning 1kg of natural gas into energy results in exactly the same CO2 emissions, it doesnt matter if it is a fuel cell or burning. This difference is the useful energy. Electrical energy is far more useful in the modern world than heat energy. Who wants to heat their house in Victoris at present?

As for how they work, I hope I can put it in simple terms. The first thing that happen is steam is mixed with the gas. The steam is created by burning a bit of gas (the bluegen start up phase).

Now natural gas is CH4 (1 carbon and 4 hydrogen) and when mixed with steam under the right conditions with a catalyst present (part of the CFC's proporties) the following occurs
CH4 + 2H2O (2 water molecules as steam)= CO2+4H2 (4 hydrogen molecules) There is an intermediate step but end result is as stated.
Now the hydrogen and oxygen (from air) is passed through the fuel cell and water is formed. 4H2+2O2= 4H20 (4 water molecules)the conversion of hydrogen/oxygen to water in the cell release electrical energy at nearly 100% efficiency and can occur at low temperature. The trouble is the cell has to be at a high temperature to release the hydrogen in the first place and this is the bluegens heat output
So the discharge of the cell is CO2 and water plus the excess compounds in the air used for the reaction.

if you burn CH4 you get CO2+2H20. You dont get any extra from the extra hydrogen in water from the fuel cell as it takes the equivalent amountof energy to make the hydrogen in the first place.
If the users needs are biased towards large amounts of heat energy boilers are better than fuel cells as they are cheaper, but this is not the market for Bluegen, it is electrical users with a small heating requirement.
Okay I am a nerd, but not a smart one as I was so dissapointed with the latest reports I bailed out! On this I am stil concerned that the Bluegen sales are relying on subsides, the big step up will be when they do not.

Just to finish the reason coal is poor on the CO2 issue is that it contains a higher ratio of carbon to hydrogen.