Efficient conversion of methane into power via microchanneled solid oxide fuel cells

Abstract

Methane-fueled solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are promising to achieve high energy conversion efficiency while no study focuses on the conversion efficiency of methane into power, which is greatly restrained by gas diffusion within anode supports. This study employs microchanneled anode supports to provide fast gas diffusion pathway. To confirm the advantage, the anodes with half-channels and without channels are also used for comparison. The microchannel structure increases the maximum power density up to 2.5 times because of diminishing or eliminating concentration polarization within anode supports and improving catalyst coating over anode internal surface. As a compromise of fuel utilization and power output, methane conversion efficiency is defined as power output per mol methane input in feeding gas to compare with the reported results, and the microchanneled SOFCs achieve the record high methane conversion efficiency.