Integrated Catalytic Burner/Micro-SOFC Design and Applications

Abstract

In order to combine internal pre-reforming, heat for SOFC operation and clean combustion, a triple catalyst micro-SOFC unit was designed. The unit consisted of retrofitting a Camping Gaz^® catalytic burner with a micro-SOFC stack and a Ru pre-reformer. The butane gas is jetted over the surface of the Pt honeycomb catalyst, where it is burnt to release heat. In order to utilise the gas for the co-generation of heat and electricity in the camping gas burner, the retrofitting of a 28 fuel cell stack above the combustion catalyst was investigated. In this case, the Ni/YSZ/CeO₂ anode electrode layer is applied to the exterior of the electrolyte tube for the impinging fuel gas, and the dopedlanthanum manganite cathode layer is applied to the inside of the tubes. A pre-reforming catalyst comprising of Ru metal on Saffil^® coamic wool, was used to partially reform the butane gas prior to the fuel cell, greatly improving the OCV and power output. The 28-cell stack micro-fuel cell system with the Ru pre-reformer was successfully retrofitted to the Camping Gaz^® burner and initial performance results were obtained.