INTERNAL REFORMING AND ELECTROCHEMICAL PERFORMANCE STUDIES OF DOPED NICKEL/ZIRCONIA ANODES IN SOFCs RUNNING ON METHANE

摘要

The effects of doping nickel/zirconia cermet anodes with small quantities of molybdenum and gold on the steam reforming characteristics of the anode and the SOFC performance have been studied over the temperature range 1023 K to 1173 K, and a range of methane/steam ratios. Temperature programmed reduction (TPR) has been used to study the anode reduction characteristics and post-reaction temperature programmed oxidation (TPO) has been used to determine the level of carbon deposition and its strength of interaction with the anode. Both gold and molybdenum-doped anodes are shown to offer significantly increased resistance to carbon deposition, increased methane conversion and improved durability, particularly at lower reforming temperatures, and lower, more realistic, methane/steam ratios.