SOLID OXIDE FUEL-CELL WHICH CAN WORK IN UNIFORM-GAS PHASE USING PARTIAL OXIDATION OF METHANE

Solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) without the need for the geometry of two electrode compartments has been developed using partial oxidation of methane. When a gaseous mixture of methane and air (methane : O2 mole ratio = 2:1) was introduced into Pt\yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ)\Au or Pt\ SrCe0.95Yb0.05O3-alpha\Au cell at 950-degrees-C at a rate of 210 ml min-1, methane was oxidized to H-2 and CO over the Pt electrode, but inactive to O2 over the Au electrode. This situation led to a large difference in oxygen or hydrogen concentration between two electrodes, resulting in an electromotive force in these cells: 200 mV in Pt\YSZ\Au cell and 700 mV in Pt\SrCe0.95Yb0.05O3-alpha\Au cell. The current could be drawn from these cells. The maximum power output of Pt\SrCe0.95Yb0.05O3-alpha\Au cell was 0.021 W cm-2, which was about 100 times that obtained from Pt\YSZ\Au cell. The difference in SOFC characteristic between these cells was studied by various electrochemical techniques.