Internal Reforming Solid Oxide Fuel Cell System Operating under Direct Ethanol Feed Condition
Mohamed A. Elharati, Martinus Dewa, Qusay Bkour, A. Mohammed Hussain, Yohei Miura, Dong Song, Yosuke Fukuyama, Nilesh Dale, Oscar Marin‐Flores, Su Ha
Abstract
A button‐typed single solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) with an internal catalytic reforming layer is tested for direct‐fed ethanol SOFC technology. This catalytic functional layer consists of 5 wt% Rh/CeZrO 2 catalyst and is applied in front of conventional nickel–yttria–stabilized zirconia (Ni–YSZ) anode to convert the ethanol fuel (35 vol%) into a hydrogen‐rich gas stream via the ethanol steam reforming reaction under harsh operating conditions for 24 h (steam‐to‐carbon [S/C] ratio = 3.1, 600 °C, and weight hourly space velocity [WHSV] of 176 h −1 ). The X‐ray powder diffraction (XRD) analysis and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images reveal highly dispersed Rh nanoparticles with an average size of 2 nm over CeZrO 2 support. Unlike the button cell without the catalytic functional layer, the electrochemical performance of the button cell with the catalytic functional layer illustrates a high coking resistance while maintaining a good power density output. The proposed SOFC with the catalytic functional layer is a viable solution for future electric cars with bioethanol‐fed SOFC technology.