The interaction of biomass gasification syngas components with tar in a solid oxide fuel cell and operational conditions to mitigate carbon deposition on nickel-gadolinium doped ceria anodes

The combination of biomass gasification with solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) is gaining increasing interest as an efficient and environmentally benign method of producing electricity and heat. However, tars in the gas stream arising from the gasification of biomass material can deposit carbon on the SOFC anode, having detrimental effects to the life cycle and operational characteristics of the fuel cell. This work examines the impact of biomass gasification syngas components combined with benzene as a model tar, on carbon formation on Ni/CGO (gadolinium-doped ceria) SOFC anodes. Thermodynamic calculations suggest that SOFCs operating at temperatures > 750 °C are not susceptible to carbon deposition from a typical biomass gasification syngas containing 15 g m−3 benzene.However, intermediate temperature SOFCs operating at temperatures < 650 °C require threshold current densities well above what is technologically achievable to inhibit the effects of carbon deposition. SOFC anodes have been shown to withstand tar levels of 2–15 g m−3 benzene at 765 °C for 3 h at a current density of 300 mA cm−2, with negligible impact on the electrochemical performance of the anode. Furthermore, no carbon could be detected on the anode at this current density when benzene levels were <5 g m−3.

Research highlights
► SOFC anodes withstand tar levels of 2–15 g m−3 benzene at 765 °C for 3 h at 300 mA cm−2.
► No carbon was detected at 300 mA cm−2 when benzene levels were <5 g m−3.
► SOFCs at <650 °C require high currents to inhibit carbon deposition when tars are present.