Liquid metal anode (LMA) solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are a promising type of high temperature fuel cell suitable for the direct oxidation of gaseous or solid fuel. Depending upon the operating conditions they can be run in four different modes. In this first of a series of studies concerning the mechanism of reaction and species transport in LMA SOFCs, the oxidation of hydrogen fuel in a liquid tin anode has been investigated. An electrochemical model is developed based upon fast dissolution of hydrogen in a molten tin anode, slow, rate-determining homogeneous reaction of hydrogen with oxygen dissolved in the liquid tin, followed by anodic oxygen injection under diffusion control to replace the oxygen removed by reaction (so-called Chemical-Electrochemical mode or CE mode). Experimentally-generated data are used to validate the model. The model has introduced a new key parameter, z , which takes a value between zero and unity; its value is determined by geometric and convective factors in the cell as well as the partial pressure of the supplied hydrogen fuel. Current output of the cell is proportional to the value of z .

This review discusses recent advances in a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC)

A novel Rotating Electrolyte Disc (RED) apparatus has been developed to determine parameters controlling mass transport of dissolved oxygen (and other gases) and oxidised species including metal oxide in liquid metal anode SOFCs. The validity of the concept and design for high temperature studies was first demonstrated by testing the setup in an aqueous system at ambient temperature (equimolar solution of ferrous and ferric chloride in KCl as supporting electrolyte). The diffusion coefficients have been determined for Fe2+ and Fe3+ by measuring the limiting oxidation and reduction diffusion-controlled currents. The obtained data have been compared with appropriate literature data. Preliminary testing of RED in molten tin electrodes is discussed.