A simple dip-coating-co-firing fabricated anode supported tubular solid oxide fuel cells for bio-ethanol carbon dioxide internal dry reforming and power generation

Direct internal dry reforming of hydrocarbon is a promising way for the growth of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) due to the convenient storage and transportation of hydrocarbon fuels. Herein, NiO-YSZ (Y2O3-stabilized ZrO2) anode supported tubular SOFCs (T-SOFCs) are successfully fabricated by a simple dip-coating-co-firing method with NiFe2O4–Gd0.1Ce0.9O2-δ(NFO-GDC) internal reforming layer, and the electrochemical and carbon resistance are characterized under three different bio-ethanol carbon dioxide components (40 %, 50 %, 60 % ethanol partial pressure). The maximum power density of the T-SOFC in H2 atmosphere is 434.08 mW cm−2. With CO2–C2H5OH mixture as the fuel, the maximum power density is obtained at 50 % C2H5OH -CO2 atmosphere. This difference in performance is attributed to the varying levels of carbon dioxide affecting the dry reforming of ethanol. Distribution of relaxation times (DRT) analysis of T-SOFCs are carried out to explore the contribution of different electrode reactions. Long-term stability studies, gas chromatography measurements of exhaust gases and Raman scanning results are collected under three ethanol partial pressures to obtain the stability of single cell, catalytic reactions and carbon tolerance of fuel electrode. All experiments are designed to investigate the optimal performance of bio-ethanol carbon dioxide fueled single cells in terms of electrochemical performance and stability.