Improving Reliability of Microtubular SOFCs for Direct Use on Methane

Abstract

The main problems of small scale SOFC devices are the interconnections, durability and operation on available fuels such as methane. This paper shows how anode supported micro tubular SOFCs can be interconnected more reliably then run on methane. Theory showed that by coiling a wire on the outside of the micro tube, a more reliable connection could be achieved, when compared to traditional methods of internal wiring. Experiment showed that micro tubular SOFCs can be operated for 60 hours to give a steady power output. The enhanced reliability has been tested on methane, which showed better and consistent performance by up to 9% compared to hydrogen.