SOFC Long Term Operation in Pure Methane by Gradual Internal Reforming

摘要

A solid oxide fuel cell was designed to be operated in pure methane, without external reforming or carrier gas. The fuel cell was built up from conventional NiO-YSZ anode supported cell with a specific Pt screen-printed anodic collecting system and a Ir-CGO catalytic layer. The operation principle is based on Gradual Internal Reforming. After an initiation in H_2 for 30 minutes, the cell was operated for almost 2000 hours in pure and dry CH_4 with a fuel utilization rate of 30 %. Intrinsic gradual degradation of 15 % / 1000 h was observed, but no coking occurred at the anodic side.