A Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Operating in Gradual Internal Reforming Conditions under Pure Dry Methane

Jean-Marie Klein (1) , Marc Hénault (1) , P. Gélin (2) , Yann Bultel (1) , Samuel Georges (1)

1 LEPMI - Laboratoire d'Electrochimie et de Physico-chimie des Matériaux et des Interfaces
2 IRCELYON - Institut de recherches sur la catalyse et l'environnement de Lyon

A planar solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) was designed to be operated in gradual internal reforming conditions under pure dry methane. Stable operation was achieved for about 30 h. This result was obtained by deposition onto a Ni–yttria-stabilized zirconia cermet of a highly active and carbon-deposition-resistant catalyst layer consisting of Ir/CeO₂. The performances of this layer were first evaluated in situ at open-circuit voltage, and then the principle of gradual internal reforming associated with electrocatalytic dissociation was demonstrated. The best cell performances with CH₄/H₂O=1/4 were 0.1  A  cm⁻² at 0.55 V (about 55  mW cm⁻²) at 1173 K.

Mots clés: catalysts; cermets; dissociation; organic compounds; solid oxide fuel cells

Domaines: Matériaux

Jean-Marie Klein, Marc Hénault, P. Gélin, Yann Bultel, Samuel Georges. A Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Operating in Gradual Internal Reforming Conditions under Pure Dry Methane. Electrochemical and Solid-State Letters, 2008, 11 (8), pp. B144-B147. ⟨10.1149/1.2936228⟩. ⟨hal-00365552⟩