Internal Reforming of Methane Fuel within Proton-Conducting Ceramic Anode Supports

摘要

The objective of this work is to advance our understanding of hydrocarbon internal-reforming processes within the anode supports of proton-conducting ceramic fuel cells. Protonic-ceramic fuel cells (PCFCs) have demonstrated remarkable power density and stable operation under hydrocarbon fuels at operating temperatures that are well below that of the more-well established oxygen-ion conducting ceramics. Such performance brings confidence that protonic ceramics can play a meaningful role in efficient electricity generation on practical fuels. PCFCs operate at temperatures at or below 550°C, where reaction kinetics are substantially slower. This lower-temperature operation under direct hydrocarbon fuels brings questions about the effectiveness of the internal reforming process. In this work, the performance of protonic-ceramic anode supports is presented from the perspective of internal-reforming effectiveness. Cell morphology and operating conditions that promote efficient internal reforming are presented.