Power and heat co-generation by micro-tubular flame fuel cell on a porous media burner

Abstract

A flame fuel cell setup is designed and built based on a micro-tubular solid oxide fuel cell and a two-layer porous media burner. The stable operation limits of the burner are obtained by adjusting the inlet gas velocity and the equivalence ratio. Methane fuel-rich flames are stabilized inside the burner from the equivalence ratio of 1.4–1.8. The effects of the equivalence ratio and the gas velocity on the temperature distribution inside the burner and the combustion products are studied. Using a burner efficiency based on lower heating values, up to 41.1% of methane was converted to H2 and CO at the equivalence ratio of 1.7. The maximum mole fraction of H2 and CO reached 9.32% and 8.18% respectively. Flame fuel cell experiments are carried out with different equivalence ratios. The tubular SOFC is directly heated up and reduced by the fuel-rich flame. The maximum power generated by the flame fuel cell reached 0.55 W at the equivalence ratio of 1.7 and the inlet gas velocity of 0.15 m/s.