Characterization of a 100 W SOFC stack fed by carbon monoxide rich fuels

This paper presents the evaluation of the performance of a 100 W Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) stack with CO rich fuels as anode gas. The study aims at measuring the Open Circuit Voltage (OCV) and the Area Specific Resistance (ASR) when the amount of CO in the anode flow varies from 0 to 40% in volume. At the same time, the FCTestQA procedures were applied and evaluated as methodology for Solid Oxide Fuel Cell testing. The theoretical OCV was measured considering both H₂ and CO oxidation and the water gas shift reaction. The OCV values, as a function of CO concentration, resulted closely related to theoretical ones and the ASR value, calculated for different mixtures of fuel, did not change with anode gas composition and it seemed to be a function of the temperature and the degradation of the materials only.