Characterization of Cu–CeO2 direct hydrocarbon anodes in a solid oxide fuel cell with lanthanum gallate electrolyte

La0.8Sr0.2Ga0.8Mg0.2O3−δ (LSGM)-electrolyte-supported solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs)with Cu–CeO2–LSGM anodes were fabricated, and their performance, while operating on H2 and C4H10, was characterized. The cells demonstrated the ability to directly operate on both hydrogen and butane fuels between 600 and 700 °C. At 700 °C, a cell with a 440-μm thick electrolyte had maximum power densities of 220 and 115 mW/cm2 for H2 and C4H10 fuels, respectively. Impedance study indicates that the Cu–CeO2–LSGM anodes limit cell performance.