Enhancing protonic ceramic fuel cell performance with catalyst-loaded dendritic porous anode for biomass ethanol internal reforming

This study focuses on the potential and challenges of using biomass-derived ethanol as a fuel for proton-conducting solid oxide fuel cells (PCFCs). Despite the advantages of ethanol, such as its high hydrogen content and easy availability, its practical application is limited by the efficiency of decomposition, the rate of fuel mass transfer, and issues with carbon deposition. In this study, a dendritic porous anode with rapid fuel transport capability was designed to enhance the mass transport in the anode. Given the unique properties of biomass-derived ethanol, a novel in-situ catalytic cracking reactor was constructed via loading Ni-Al layered double hydroxide (LDH) catalysts into the microchannels of the dendritic anode. Furthermore, Pt particles were deposited on the Ni-Al LDH catalysts, and a protective layer of CuO was coated on the anode surface. The results indicate that these modifications improved ethanol cracking and hydrogen generation yield as well as the stability, thereby improving the ethanol reforming efficiency. The ethanol fuel utilization was increased from 58.21 % to 78.31 %. By implementing effective steam management strategies, the maximum power density (MPD) of the cell was successfully increased by 21.34 %. Under ethanol fuel supply at 700 °C, the stable operation time of the cell was extended to 192 h, significantly enhancing the stability and lifespan of the cell.