Solid oxide fuel cell electrode characterization and improvement for fuel flexibility and supplemental power production

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) were fabricated and the electrodes tested for their individual catalytic effectiveness in various fuels by exposing each electrode to mixed gas while the opposite electrode was exposed to its respective pure gas. Mixed hydrogen and oxygen gas was successfully utilized as fuel in a single chamber SOFC (SC-SOFC). The conditions at which the porous nickel-yttria-stabilized zirconia (Ni-YSZ) cermet anode performed well did not significantly overlap the conditions at which the La0.8Sr 0.2Fe0.8Co0.2 oxide (LSCF) cathode performed well, but there was significant catalytic activity at both electrodes which increased the open circuit voltage (OCV) beyond that predicted by the Nernst equation. The results of these tests, and future tests of similar format, could be useful in the development of SC-SOFC electrode catalysts.;Pyrolytic carbon was used as fuel in a SOFC with a YSZ electrolyte and a bi-layer anode composed of nickel gadolinia-doped ceria (Ni-GDC) and Ni-YSZ. The common problems of bulk shrinkage and emergent porosity in the YSZ layer adjacent to the GDC/YSZ interface were avoided by using an interlayer of porous Ni-YSZ as a buffer anode layer between the electrolyte and the Ni-GDC primary anode. Cells were fabricated from commercially available component powders so that unconventional production methods suggested in the literature were avoided. A cell of similar construction was used with externally applied acetylene flame soot as fuel so that soot captured at the exhaust of a diesel engine could be utilized for secondary power generation in a SOFC while decreasing particulate pollution without the need for filter regeneration.