Development of anodes for solid oxide fuel cells operating directly on renewable fuels

Abstract

The present project aims at the development of anodes for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) operating directly with renewable fuels, without the addition of water and using strategic fuels such as ethanol and natural gas. SOFCs are the most efficient devices known for the direct conversion of fuels into electric energy. Such devices have advanced steadily and are already available for specific applications such as portable power and residential stationary generation. The impact of the present proposal relies on both the mitigation of the environmental impact of fossil fuels and the efficient and clean energy generation. In this context, the main idea is to advance previous results on direct ethanol SOFC and to extend them for other fuels such as methane (the main component of both bio and natural gas). Thus, the project combines both basic studies and the application of the develop materials on single cells. Specifically, two families of mixed ionic-electronic compounds will be investigated: i) doped-ceria and Ni cermets and ii) double perovskites with composition Sr2MgMMoO6 (M= Nb, Ru). The produced materials will be characterized by several techniques (thermal analyses, X-ray diffraction, and electronic microscopy), and the electrical properties will be studied in a wide range of temperature, frequency, and oxygen partial pressure. Selected compositions of the compounds will be used in single solid oxide fuel cell and tested under different fuels. The stability and performance will be investigated as a function of both the operating temperature and gas flow rates (fuel utilization) to access the stability of the solid oxide fuel cell. The expected results will contribute to advance both the understanding of the mixed ionic electronic ceramics and the SOFC technology using renewable fuels. (AU)