Internal reforming development for solid oxide fuel cells

Internal reforming of natural gas within a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) is expected to make it a more efficient system for the production of electrical power. Nickel-zirconia cermets are prime candidate material for use as the anode in an SOFC. four procedures were used to prepare 16 nickel-zirconia cermets: tape casting, slurry, incorporation of pore formers, and granulation. The resultant cermets had nickel contents from 50% to 80%, porosities from 14% to 66%, and mean pore sizes of 0.25-1.8 μm. The catalytic behavior of two cermets was determined in a continuously stirred tank reactor at atmospheric pressure over a temperature range of 800-1000°C and steam-to-hydrocarbon ratios of 2-8 mol/mol using pure methane as the feed. The data supported the reaction being first order with respect to methane and -1.25$/ for steam. The activation energies for the 60% and 70% nickel cermets were 23.5 and 17.8 kcal/mol, respectively.