Abstract
With the fast depleting rate of fossil fuels, the whole world is looking for promising energy sources for the future, and fuel cells are perceived as futuristic energy sources. Out of the different varieties of fuel cells, solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are promising due to their unique multi-fuel operating capability without the need for an external reformer. Nonetheless, the state-of-the-art anode material Ni–YSZ undergoes carburization in presence of hydrocarbons (HCs), resulting in performance degradation. Several strategies have been explored by researchers to overcome the issue of carburization of the anode. The important strategies include reducing SOFC operating temperature, adjustment of steam: carbon ratio, and use of alternate anode catalysts. Among these, the use of alternate anodes is a promising strategy. Apart from the carburization issue, the anode can also undergo sulfur poisoning. The present review discusses carburization and sulfur poisoning issues and the different strategies that can be adopted for tackling them. The quintessence of this review is to provide greater insight into the various developments in hydrocarbon compatible anode catalysts and into the synthesis routes employed for the synthesis of hydrocarbon compatible anodes.
Highlights
Fossil fuels such as gasoline, coal, and jet fuels are not renewable
There are a large number of reports on the use of oxide anodes for testing solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) in HC fuel
Due to the thermal sensitivity issues, Cu-rich compositions were used only in low-temperature fabrication techniques. Most of these compositions were found to be only suitable for electrolyte-supported cells (ESC) and electrode infiltration techniques
Summary
Fossil fuels such as gasoline, coal, and jet fuels are not renewable. Burning these limited fuel resources increases air pollution and leads to a severe economic crisis. It is worth mentioning that other fuel cells such as PEMFCs require controlled hydration of electrolyte membrane, and there is an obvious difficulty in maintaining the hydration in colder environments This problem does not persist in SOFCs as they operate at relatively higher temperatures. SOFC is made of all solids construction, and it operates at high temperatures and generates clean, efficient power from easy-totransport fuels in lieu of pure hydrogen. Due to their low sensitivity to fossil fuels and their tolerance of impurities, SOFCs are extremely suitable for the use of HCs for auxiliary power units (APU) for vehicles as well as for stationary applications. The issue of sulfur poisoning and strategies to control it are presented
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