For example, exhaust gases and ammonia gas coming from automobiles are harmful to human bodies. Atmospheric release of such gases as they are causes pollution problems. Thus, various gas decomposition devices have been developed in order to decompose these gases.
For example, a gas decomposition device for decomposing a gas by the application of thermal energy in the presence of a catalyst, for example, platinum (Pt) or rhodium (Rh), has been known. The catalyst, however, is very expensive. It is thus difficult to use the catalyst for a gas decomposition device for treating exhaust gases from automobiles and so forth.
A gas decomposition device may be provided on the basis of the principle of a solid oxide fuel cell (hereinafter, referred to as a “SOFC”). The gas decomposition device based on the principle of the solid oxide fuel cell includes a membrane electrode assembly in which a solid electrolyte layer, an anode layer, and a cathode layer are integrally stacked. The gas decomposition device electrochemically decomposes gases by the conduction of ions to the solid electrolyte layer.