Internal Reforming on Metal Supported SOFCs

Abstract

Metal supported solid oxide fuel cell technology (MSC) has a significant potential for mobile applications, due to high electrical efficiencies, fuel flexibility, cheap materials, and mechanical robustness. The MSC concept in the current study relies on ceramic, scalable processing methodology. Two MSC generations with different anodes, one with a FeCr-ScYSZ-based anode cermet backbone and one with a titanate based anode backbone, which both were infiltrated with CGO and Ni electro catalysts, were tested using methane containing fuel. It was found that the internal reforming activity of the anodes is reduced as compared to state-of-the-art Ni-cermet anodes, due to the lower Ni content in the anodes of the MSCs. Still, power densities of ca. 0.22 W/cm2 were obtained at 650 oC in a methane/steam fuel and long-term tests at medium to high fuel utilization were demonstrated on the titanate based MSC.