Determination of H2S and HCl concentration limits in the fuel for anode supported SOFC operation

Solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) is an electric generator, operating based on electrochemical reaction converting gaseous fuel to electricity and heat. It is characterized by the high electrical efficiency of up to 70% with cogeneration and negligible emission of pollutants. Syngas from the biomass gasification is considered to be a possible fuel for solid oxide fuel cell systems. However, high level of contaminants such as H2S, HCl, alkali metals, tars and particulates, in addition to possibility of carbon deposition and high temperature gradients due to internal reforming of hydrocarbons requires cleaning and conditioning of the syngas stream. The current status of the effect of contaminants on the SOFC performance has been reviewed and effects of single contaminants (H2S, HCl) has been tested. It has been found that anode supported solid oxide fuel cell (AS-SOFC) with Ni/YSZ cermet anode can tolerate up to 1 ppm H2S and up to 10 ppm HCl without significant performance degradation.