Development of Intermediate Termperature Fuel Cells for Direct Conversion of Methane to Liquid Fuels

An electrochemical route to upgrade methane to liquid products, such as methane is being investigated. The process is based on an oxide conducting electrolyte and a metal/metal oxide redox couple, to partially oxidize methane to oxygenates. The objective of this project is development of a durable, low-cost, and high performance Low Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (LT-SOFC) for direct conversion of methane to methanol and other liquids, characterized by: a) operating temperature < 500°C, b) current density of > 100 mA/cm 2 in liquid hydrocarbon production mode, c) continuous operation of > 100 h, d) cell area > 100 cm 2 , e) cell cost per rate of product output < $100,000/bpd, f) process intensity of > 0.1 bpd/ft 3 , g) product yield and carbon efficiency > 50%, and h) volumetric output per cell > 30 L/day.