US EPA

1449412 

Journal Article 

Operation of a solid oxide fuel cell under direct internal reforming of liquid fuels 

Leone, P; Lanzini, A; Ortigoza-Villalba, GA; Borchiellini, R 

2012 

Yes 

Chemical Engineering Journal
ISSN: 1385-8947 

191 

349-355 

10.1016/j.cej.2012.03.030 

WOS:000304793300041 

This paper investigates the feasibility of state-of-the-art
solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) operating under direct internal reforming (DIR) of liquid fuels. A
thermodynamic model of the combined heat and power solid oxide fuel cell generator (mu CHP-SOFC)
running on methanol and ethanol, respectively, has been developed. System performances achieved
with these two fuels are compared to the baseline plant operated with methane, and are evaluated
considering either internal or external vaporization plus pre-heating of the liquid fuel. The
achieved lower heating value (LHV) efficiencies for the conversion into electricity of methane,
methanol and ethanol are found comparable, ranging from 51 to 56%. The efficiency penalty
observed when switching from methane to the liquid fuels is modest, or even nil (ethanol case),
provided that the fuel is vaporized and pre-heated within the SOFC 'hot-box'. Experimental
sessions on planar Ni-based anode supported SOFCs running on methanol and ethanol, respectively,
are also presented. The fuel cell operation under direct internal steam-reforming of these two
fuels is assessed at 800 and 1000 C, while varying the steam-to-fuel (S/F) ratio and the fuel
utilization (FU) factor. Methanol is easily converted at both 800 degrees C and 1000 degrees C
when directly fed to the Ni anode; whereas, direct reforming of ethanol requires an operating
temperature as high as 1000 degrees C. (c) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. 

SOFC; System modeling; Ethanol; Methanol; Internal reforming; Liquid fuels