Zirconia-based SOFC with non-noble electrodes fed by air–methane mixture

One- and two-chamber solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) fed by an air–methane mixture (AMM) were studied at 550–700°C. (Y2O3)0.04(Sc2O3)0.06(ZrO2)0.9 was used as a solid electrolyte, ceria-doped Ni-YSZ-cermet (CNC) and SrO-doped LaMnO3 (LSM) were used as electrodes. In the experiments with the two-chamber cell, it was stated that the LSM-electrode did not catalyse methane partial oxidation and its potential was close to the potential of free oxygen mixed with methane and nitrogen. The CNC-electrode was a good catalyst for methane partial oxidation and its potential was close to the potential of the mixture formed in methane partial oxidation process. In the one-chamber cell, the current density was about 15 mA/cm2 at the terminal voltage 500 mV within an interval of 550–650°C.