Anode-supported SOFC Operated Under Single-chamber Conditions at Intermediate Temperatures

Abstract

Anode-supported SOFC was fabricated using gadolinia doped ceria (GDC) as the electrolyte (15 lm of thickness), Ni-GDC as the anode and La0.5Sr0.5CoO3 – d-GDC as the cathode. Catalytic activities of the electrodes and electrical properties of the cell were determined, using mixtures of methane + air, under single-chamber conditions. This work assessed with special and wide emphasis the effect of temperature, gas composition and total flow rate on the cell performance. As a result, operational temperature range of the fuel cell was approximately between 700 and 800 °C, which agrees with the results corresponding to the catalytic activities of electrodes. While Ni-GDC anode was enough active towards methane partial oxidation at cell temperatures higher than 700 °C, the LSC-GDC cathode was enough inactive towards partial and total oxidation of methane at cell temperatures lower than 800 °C. Under optimised gas compositions (CH4/O2 ratio (1) and total flow rate ((530 mL min–1), power densities of 145 and 235