Micro-Cogeneration From Natural Gas In A 1000 Tube Extruded Zirconia SOFC

Kevin Kendall, Mirjana Prica and Tim Alston
Keele University,
Keele,
Staffs ST5 5BG,
UK

Paper presented at the Third European Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Forum Nantes, June 1998 Published in the proceedings the Third European Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Forum Editor: Philippe Stevens

ABSTRACT
Tests have been carried out on a small-scale cogeneration device built from a thousand 2 mm diameter tubes made by extruding zirconia from a plastic mix. The system comprised an electronic control unit driving air and fuel gas flow controllers, a glow plug igniter and a thermocouple for temperature control. Incoming air from a blower was preheated in a flat plate heat exchanger and delivered around the tubular cells through which the natural gas premixed with air was flowing. The cells were sealed at the cool fuel inlet end by locating each tube onto a metal manifold, then sealing with silicone rubber which allowed free movement of the ceramic to prevent stress concentrations. The anode contact was also made onto the metal manifold. Incoming gas/air premix flowed up the tubes and rose to 800° C in the hot zone where the anode was located. Nickel cermet anodes were used inside the tubes and lanthanum strontium manganite cathodes outside, deposited from particulate inks. Cathode current collection was by metal wires connected outside the hot zone to avoid hot interconnection problems. Experiments have shown that the system can be ignited with a conventional glow plug and cycled successfully to deliver 200 We plus 20 kW of heat for a domestic micro-cogeneration application.

 

 

 

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