Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Demonstrators Operating on Butane/Propane

摘要

This paper outlines the design and development of portable SOFC systems for small-scale power applications and educational purposes. Several designs have been tested but they all consist of the same basic components: a butane/air fuel feed, tubular SOFC cells, a supported catalysts for fuel processing and final oxidation and 3V output for electronic application. The devices have rapid start-up times and can produce power in a couple of minutes, with the amount of power produced being largely dependent on the operating temperature, between 650 and 800°C. The SOFCs were made by extruding Yttria Stabilised Zirconia (YSZ) paste to form thin walled tubing 2 mm in diameter. Lanthanum Strontium Manganite Cathodes and nickel-based anodes were applied as inks, then fired and connected to metal wire interconnects. To reduce carbon deposition and increase electrochemical performance, the anodes were doped with 5wt% CeO_2. Improved cell fabrication techniques and current collection have also led to higher power output.