The performance of the direct carbon solid oxide fuel cell (C-SOFC) with a Ni/YSZ anode has been studied with a 50 mol% H-2, 3 mol% H-2, and 7 mol% H2O feed at 750 degrees C The electricity generation was dominated by consumption of H-2 fuel at 50 mol% H-2 and by carbon at 3 mol% H-2. The low (3 mol%) H-2 kept the Ni/YSZ anode in reduced state, enhancing its electrochemical oxidation activities. Introducing 7 mol% H2O initiated the water reaction with carbon to produce H-2 and CO that could serve as a fuel for further reactions in anode interlayer, exhibiting a decrease in the overall Faraday resistance of the C-SOFC. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.