Direct ammonia tubular fuel cell with an embedded microchannel ceramic cracking reactor

doi:10.19799/j.cnki.2095-4239.2024.1097

Abstract

Abstract:

A type of electrolyte-supported tubular solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) with a NiO-YSZ|YSZ|LSCF-GDC structure has been successfully developed using cold isostatic pressing and dip-coating methods. The fabricated SOFC features an electrolyte thickness of approximately 200 μm. An ammonia decomposition catalyst was also prepared using an impregnation method, with nanoscale Ru catalyst anchored on the inner surface of microchannels in a honeycomb ceramic to create an ammonia decomposition reactor. The decomposition rate of ammonia increased with temperature, reaching 98.9% at 500 ℃ and 99.6% at 600 ℃ .The microchannel ceramic cracking reactor was then inserted and fixed upstream of the ammonia fuel input in the microtubular SOFC (μT-SOFC). Field emission scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) were employed to conduct microstructural characterization and elemental distribution analysis of both the μT-SOFC and the embedded cracking reactor. The μT-SOFC exhibited an open-circuit voltage of 1.19 V and, when fueled with ammonia, achieved maximum power densities of 8 mW/cm², 19 mW/cm², 41 mW/cm², 53 mW/cm², and 57 mW/cm² at temperatures of 600 ℃, 700 ℃, 750 ℃, 800 ℃, and 850 ℃, respectively. These power densities reached 62%, 61%, 98%, 98%, and 92% of the performance observed when using 75%H₂+25%N₂ was as fuel.This study employed an anode internal circular current collection mode, where each ring uniformly collected current. Simulation results indicated that the total current is roughly proportional to the number of rings. Currently, there is limited research on μT-SOFC electrolyte support systems, and this study provides guidance on the model of μT-SOFC with an electrolyte support system.

Key words: electrolyte-supported, microtubular solid oxide fuel cell, ammonia fuel cell, embedded cracking reactor

CLC Number:

TM 911.4

Xiaoru XU, Jianzhen OU, Jiawei LIU, Zhicong CHEN, Hao YE, Yinglong LIU, Yingli LIU, Zeyu LIN, Jingjing LIU, Junhui JIAN, Xu LUO, Jingmin FAN, Chao WANG, Libin LEI, Bo LIANG. Direct ammonia tubular fuel cell with an embedded microchannel ceramic cracking reactor[J]. Energy Storage Science and Technology, 2025, 14(5): 1818-1828.

Figures/Tables 7

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Table 1

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名称	数值[单位]
工作温度	973.15 [K]
阳极厚度	60 [μm]
电解质厚度	220 [μm]
阴极厚度	20 [μm]
电池长度	80 [mm]
参考压力	1 atm
阴极气体成分	21%O₂, 79%N₂ [mol%]
阳极气体成分	97 % H₂ [mol%]
电解质电导率	3.34×10⁴×exp(-10300/T) [S/m]
阴极电导率	2.57×10⁷×exp[-80000/(8.314×T)] [S/m]
阳极电导率	3.27×10⁶-1065.3×T [S/m]
集流体电导率	6.3×10⁷ [S/m]
阳极气体速率	150 sccm
阴极气体速率	350 sccm
孔隙率	0.36

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