Development of a novel test system for in situ catalytic, electrocatalyticand electrochemical studies of internal fuel reforming in solid oxide fuelcells

A test system based around a thin-walled extruded solid electrolyte tubular reactor has been developed, which enables the fuel reforming catalysis and surface chemistry occurring within solid oxide fuel cells and the electroc hemical performance of the fuel cell to be studied under genuine operating conditions. It permits simultaneous monitoring of the catalytic chemistry a nd the cell performance, allowing direct correlation between the fuel cell performance and the reforming characteristics of the anode, as well as enab ling the influence of drawing current on the catalysis and surface reaction pathways to be studied. Temperature-programmed reaction measurements can b e carried out on anodes in an actual SOFC, and have been used to investigat e the reduction characteristics of different anode formulations, methane ac tivation and methane steam reforming, and to evaluate the nature and level of carbon deposition on the anode during reforming.