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Anode-Engineered Protonic Ceramic Fuel Cell with Excellent Performance and Fuel Compatibility.
1Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 1H9, Canada. bhua1@ualberta.ca.
Advanced Materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
|August 26, 2016
Summary
Directly using methane in protonic ceramic fuel cells is difficult. This study overcomes this challenge by adding secondary electrocatalysts to the anode, enabling efficient fuel cell operation.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Energy Conversion
Background:
- Protonic ceramic fuel cells (PCFCs) offer high efficiency for energy conversion.
- Direct utilization of methane as fuel in PCFCs presents significant performance challenges.
- Nickel-cerium oxide (Ni-cermet) anodes are commonly used but struggle with direct hydrocarbon fuel oxidation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To address the challenge of direct methane utilization in high-performance PCFCs.
- To develop a novel anode structure for enhanced fuel cell performance.
- To explore the application of multifunctional porous structures in energy and catalysis.
Main Methods:
- Selective deposition of secondary electrocatalysts within the porous Ni-cermet anode structure.
- Fabrication of modified Ni-cermet anodes for PCFCs.
- Electrochemical testing of PCFCs under methane-fueled conditions.
Main Results:
- Successfully addressed the technological hurdle of direct methane utilization.
- Demonstrated enhanced performance of PCFCs with the novel anode design.
- Achieved selective electrocatalyst deposition within the anode's porous architecture.
Conclusions:
- The novel strategy of selective secondary electrocatalyst deposition is effective for direct methane utilization in PCFCs.
- This approach facilitates the development of multifunctional porous structures for advanced energy applications.
- The findings pave the way for more efficient and practical hydrocarbon-fueled fuel cells.
