(104d) Realizing Direct Hydrocarbon Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

The promise of direct and efficient conversion of chemical to electrical energy makes fuel cell development an area of great technological interest. Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) are unique in that they operate via ionic transport of oxidant (oxygen anions) from the air electrode (cathode) to the fuel electrode (anode). As such, SOFC can theoretically utilize a wide range of fuels, promising efficient power generation from high energy density fuels that are easily stored and transported; however, state-of-the-art Ni-based SOFC anodes are limited to hydrogen fuel due to carbon fouling on Ni in the presence of dry hydrocarbons.

In this talk I will cover the current approaches to realizing this goal including techniques to measure catalytic activity under realistic SOFC anode conditions and combining this with knowledge of material properties to understand SOFC electrochemistry.