A solid oxide fuel cell operating on hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and sulfur-containing fuels

Abstract

Abstract A new class of materials based on La x Sr 1− x VO 3− δ (LSV) has been studied as the anode for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) operating on H 2 S-containing fuels. The LSV-based anodes are chemically and electrochemically stable under SOFC operating conditions. Furthermore, they appear to be active towards the preferential oxidation of H 2 S over hydrogen, as suggested by open circuit voltage, impedance spectra, and cell performance measurements using various H 2 S and H 2 fuel mixtures. A system with configuration LSV/YSZ/LSM–YSZ showed a maximum power density of 90 mW/cm 2 at 220 mA/cm 2 with a 5% H 2 S–95% N 2 fuel mixture at 1273 K. This same cell configuration showed a maximum power density of 135 mW/cm 2 at 280 mA/cm 2 when the fuel was a 5% H 2 S–95% H 2 mixture at 1273 K. Cell performances were stable and showed no significant deterioration during a 48 h period. Impedance measurements showed overall cell resistances decreased with increasing temperature and H 2 S content of the fuel. The results are promising due to the drastic improvement in sulfur tolerance compared to the current generation of SOFC anode materials.