A Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Running on H_2S/CH_4 Fuel Mixtures

摘要

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) that were capable of running on sour natural gas were fabricated and tested. The electrolyte of the SOFCs was yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ), the anode material was a strontium-doped lanthanum vanadate with a nominal composition of La_(0.7)Sr_(0.3)VO_3 (LSV), and the cathode was a porous composite of La_(0.85)Sr_(0.15)MnO_3 (LSM) and YSZ. The observed peak power density at 950 deg C was 280 mW/cm~2 when 5 percent H_2S/95 percent CH_4 gas mixture was used as the fuel and ambient air as the oxidant. Analysis of the effluent gas from the SOFC indicated that, apart from being oxidized electrochemically to sulfur and SO_2, a significant portion of the H_2S was transformed to carbon disulfide (CS_2), an important solvent currently used to dissolve heavy hydrocarbon deposits. The results indicated that SOFCs with a LSV anode might be used for the processing of sour natural gas (containing CH_4, H_2S, etc.) in which both electricity and high value chemicals (i.e., sulfur and CS_2) are produced simultaneously.