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The Use of Methane‐Containing Syngas in a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell: A Comparison of Kinetic Models and a Performance Evaluation
Author(s) -
Liu M.,
Pourquie M. J. B. M.,
Fan L.,
Halliop W.,
Cobas V. R. M.,
Verkooijen A. H. M.,
Aravind P. V.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
fuel cells
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.485
H-Index - 69
eISSN - 1615-6854
pISSN - 1615-6846
DOI - 10.1002/fuce.201200217
Subject(s) - syngas , methane , solid oxide fuel cell , anode , hydrogen , carbon monoxide , partial oxidation , electrochemistry , chemical engineering , oxide , materials science , water gas shift reaction , natural gas , nernst equation , oxygen , hydrogen fuel , chemistry , catalysis , electrode , organic chemistry , metallurgy , engineering
The nickel‐based anodes of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) can catalytically reform hydrocarbons, which make natural gas, gasification syngas, etc., become potential fuels in addition to hydrogen. SR and water–gas shift (WGS) often occur inside SOFCs when operated on these fuels. Their reaction rates affect the partial pressures of hydrogen and carbon monoxide, the local temperatures and the related Nernst voltages. Consequently, the reaction rates affect the electrochemical reactions in the fuel cell. Three different kinetic models were used to characterize methane SR in a tubular SOFC; the results of each model were evaluated and compared. The polarizations of the fuel cell results of these models were validated against experimental data. The performance of a fuel cell operated with different fuels and based on a selected kinetic model was further studied in terms of the anode oxygen partial pressure, the thermo‐electrochemical distribution, and the system level performance.