The effects of fuel variability on the electrical performance and durability of a solid oxide fuel cell operating on biohythane |
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Authors: | Kleitos Panagi Christian J. Laycock James P. Reed Alan J. Guwy |
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Affiliation: | Sustainable Environment Research Centre, University of South Wales, Upper Glyntaff, Pontypridd, CF37 4BD, United Kingdom |
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Abstract: | Biohythane is typically composed of 60/30/10 vol% CH4/CO2/H2 and can be produced via two-stage anaerobic digestion of renewable and low carbon biomass with much greater efficiency compared with CH4/CO2 biogas. This work investigates the effects of fuel variability on the electrical performance and fuel processing of a commercially available anode supported solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) operating on biohythane mixtures at 750 °C. Cell electrical performance was characterised using current-voltage curves and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Fuel processing was characterised using quadrupole mass spectroscopy. It is shown that when H2/CO2 is blended with CH4 to make biohythane, the SOFC efficiency is significantly increased, high SOFC durability is achieved, and there are considerable savings in CH4 consumption. Enhanced electrical performance was due to the additional presence of H2 and promotion of CH4 dry reforming, the reverse Boudouard and reverse water-gas shift reactions. These processes alleviated carbon deposition and promoted electrochemical oxidation of H2 as the primary power production pathway. Substituting 50 vol% CH4 with 25/75 vol% H2/CO2 was shown to increase cell power output by 81.6% at 0.8 V compared with pure CH4. This corresponded to a 3.4-fold increase in the overall energy conversion efficiency and a 72% decrease in CH4 consumption. A 260 h durability test demonstrated very high cell durability when operating on a typical 60/30/10 vol% CH4/CO2/H2 biohythane mixture under high fuel utilisation due to inhibition of carbon deposition. Overall, this work suggests that decarbonising gas grids by substituting natural gas with renewably produced H2/CO2 mixtures (rather than pure H2 derived from fossil fuels), and utilising in SOFC technology, gives considerable gains in energy conversion efficiency and carbon emissions savings. |
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Keywords: | Biohydrogen Carbon deposition Fuel processing SOFC stability Natural gas Grid decarbonisation |
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