NiO/ZrO_2-CeO_2 Anodes for Single-Chamber Solid-Oxide Fuel Cells Operating on Methane/Air Mixtures

摘要

Single-chamber SOFCs have received much attention in recent years due to their simple design and low cost. In this work, we evaluated single-chamber SOFCs that operate in methane/air mixtures at high temperatures (900-1000°C). YSZ was used as electrolyte, La_(0.8)Sr_(0.2)MnO_3 as cathode, and NiO and NiO/ZrO_2-50, 70 or 90 mol% CeO_2 composites as anode. ZrO_2-CeO_2 solid solutions were previously characterized by several techniques and results of their structural and catalytic characterization are presented. Our results demonstrate that the incorporation of ZrO_2-CeO_2 catalysts in the anode significantly improves performance of the cell.