Energies 2009, 2(2), 377-410; doi:10.3390/en20200377
Review

Direct Utilization of Liquid Fuels in SOFC for Portable Applications: Challenges for the Selection of Alternative Anodes

Massimiliano Cimentiemail and Josephine M. Hill* email
Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, Schulich School of Engineering, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr. NW, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 11 May 2009; in revised form: 30 May 2009 / Accepted: 2 June 2009 / Published: 12 June 2009
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fuel Cells)
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Abstract: Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) have the advantage of being able to operate with fuels other than hydrogen. In particular, liquid fuels are especially attractive for powering portable applications such as small power generators or auxiliary power units, in which case the direct utilization of the fuel would be convenient. Although liquid fuels are easier to handle and transport than hydrogen, their direct use in SOFC can lead to anode deactivation due to carbon formation, especially on traditional nickel/yttria stabilized zirconia (Ni/YSZ) anodes. Significant advances have been made in anodic materials that are resistant to carbon formation but often these materials are less electrochemically active than Ni/YSZ. In this review the challenges of using liquid fuels directly in SOFC, in terms of gas-phase and catalytic reactions within the anode chamber, will be discussed and the alternative anode materials so far investigated will be compared.
Keywords: solid oxide fuel cells; anode; direct utilization; liquid fuels; methanol; ethanol; portable applications

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Cite This Article

MDPI and ACS Style

Cimenti, M.; Hill, J.M. Direct Utilization of Liquid Fuels in SOFC for Portable Applications: Challenges for the Selection of Alternative Anodes. Energies 2009, 2, 377-410.

AMA Style

Cimenti M, Hill JM. Direct Utilization of Liquid Fuels in SOFC for Portable Applications: Challenges for the Selection of Alternative Anodes. Energies. 2009; 2(2):377-410.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Cimenti, Massimiliano; Hill, Josephine M. 2009. "Direct Utilization of Liquid Fuels in SOFC for Portable Applications: Challenges for the Selection of Alternative Anodes." Energies 2, no. 2: 377-410.

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