A direct flame solid oxide fuel cell for potential combined heat and power generation

A sealant-free solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) micro-stack was successfully operated inside a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) flame during cooking. This micro-stack consisted of 4 single cells with infiltrated La _0.75Sr _0.25Cr _0.5Mn _0.5O _3-δ (LSCM) based composite anodes, achieving an open circuit voltage of 0.92 V and a peak power density of 348 mW cm ^-2. This performance is significantly better than that of stack with its cathode operation outside flame. The results confirmed that the perovskite oxide anode showed good properties of carbon-free, redox-stability, quick-start (less than 1 min) and successful operation under a wide range of oxygen partial pressure. For comparison, the conventional Ni/yttria-stabilized zirconia (Ni/YSZ) anode was prepared and tested under the same conditions, showing an open circuit voltage of 0.915 V and a peak power density of 366 mW cm ^-2, but obvious carbon deposition, poor stability and slow/difficult-start. The direct flame SOFC (DFFC) with a new configuration and design has a potential for combined heat and power generation for many applications.