Molybdenum dioxide as an alternative catalyst for direct utilization of methane in tubular solid oxide fuel cells

Abstract

Direct utilization of methane in conventional tubular solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) with a Ni-YSZ anode support was proposed using MoO2 as a partial oxidation catalyst for methane reforming at the cell inlet. A promising stability was achieved for a continuous operation in a mixture of methane and air (1, 1.5) for >150h under a load voltage of 0.7V at 750°C. The addition of the MoO2 catalyst at the anode inlet made tubular SOFCs with the conventional Ni-YSZ anode an efficient and practically promising candidate for direct hydrocarbon utilization.