Thermal Imaging of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Anode Degradation with Dry and Wet Ethanol Fuel Flows

Near-infrared thermal imaging has been used to study the effects of humidifying ethanol fuel flows on the surface temperature of SOFC anodes. Temperatures were monitored for SOFCs operating with dry and wet ethanol fuel flows at 800 degrees C. The results indicate a dramatic decrease in the amount of carbon that is formed when ethanol flows are humidified. Humidifying the fuel stream reduces both the cooling observed under ethanol fuel flow conditions and the heating observed under post-fuel flow electrochemical oxidation conditions. The spatial variation of the temperature is also reduced. Thermal imaging is capable of detecting fatigue in functioning cells because temperature variations observed in situ provide early signs of SOFC failure, therefore thermal imaging is a viable system diagnostic.