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Proton-Conducting La-Doped Ceria-Based Internal Reforming Layer for Direct Methane Solid Oxide Fuel Cells
Jie Zhao1, Xiaoyong Xu1, Wei Zhou2
1School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland , Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|September 12, 2017
Summary
To improve direct methane solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), researchers added a proton conducting layer to the anode. This layer enhances performance and stability by enabling internal reforming and water adsorption, mitigating carbon deposition issues.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Energy Conversion
Background:
- Direct methane solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) face performance limitations due to carbon deposition on anodes.
- Developing stable and efficient anodes is crucial for advancing direct methane SOFC technology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To enhance the performance and stability of direct methane SOFCs by introducing an internal reforming layer.
- To investigate the effectiveness of proton conducting La-doped ceria materials (LDC and LSDC) as anode layers for internal reforming.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of conventional Ni-Ce0.8Sm0.2O2-x (SDC) anodes and anodes with an additional Ni-La2Ce2O7 (LDC) or Ni-La1.95Sm0.05Ce2O7 (LSDC) proton conducting layer.
- In situ Raman and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) to confirm water adsorption.
- Performance testing under wet methane at 650 °C, measuring peak power density.
- Long-term stability testing under wet methane at 650 °C and 0.2 A cm-2.
Main Results:
- The addition of Ni-LDC and Ni-LSDC layers significantly increased the peak power density from 580 ± 20 mW cm-2 (conventional cell) to 699 ± 20 and 639 ± 20 mW cm-2, respectively.
- In situ characterization confirmed the water adsorption capacity of LDC and LSDC, crucial for internal reforming.
- The Ni-LDC and Ni-LSDC layers demonstrated excellent phase stability in wet CO2 at 650 °C.
- Stability tests showed the modified cells operated stably for 26 h, whereas the conventional cell degraded within 10 h under identical conditions.
Conclusions:
- Proton conducting layers of Ni-LDC and Ni-LSDC effectively promote internal reforming, enhancing direct methane SOFC performance and mitigating carbon deposition.
- These modified anodes exhibit superior long-term operational stability compared to conventional anodes.
- The findings highlight the potential of incorporating proton conductors for advanced SOFC anode design.
