Preliminary Study on Direct Operation of LT-SOFCs Based on GDC Electrolyte Film With DME Fuel

Direct operation of anode-supported cone-shaped tubular low temperature solid oxide fuel cells (LT-SOFCs) based on gadolinia-doped ceria (GDC) electrolyte film with dimethyl ether (DME) fuel was preliminarily investigated in this study. The single cell exhibited maximum power densities of 500 and 350 mW cm(-2) at 600 degrees C using moist hydrogen and DME as fuel, respectively. A durability test of the single NiO-GDC/GDC/LSCF-GDC cell was performed at a constant current of 0.1 A directly fuelled with DME for about 200 min at 600 degrees C. The results indicate that the single cell coking easily directly operated in DME fuel. EDX result shows a clear evidence of carbon deposition in the anode. Further studies are needed to develop the novel anti-carbon anode materials, relate the carbon deposition with anode microstructure and cell-operating condition.