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High-Performance, Thermal Cycling Stable, Coking-Tolerant Solid Oxide Fuel Cells with Nanostructured Electrodes
Weilin Zhang1, Yucun Zhou1, A Mohammed Hussain2
1School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 771 Ferst Dr. NW, Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0245, United States.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|January 25, 2021
Summary
Developing durable, nanostructured electrodes for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) using solution infiltration enhances performance and stability. This cost-effective method promises efficient natural gas-powered SOFCs for a sustainable energy future.
Area of Science:
- Energy conversion and storage
- Materials science for electrochemical devices
- Nanostructured materials for catalysis
Background:
- Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) offer a sustainable energy solution but face challenges in performance and long-term stability.
- Developing durable, nanostructured electrodes via cost-effective methods is crucial for overcoming SOFC limitations.
- Solution infiltration presents a viable fabrication technique for advanced SOFC components.
Purpose of the Study:
- To fabricate nanostructured PrBa0.5Sr0.5Co1.5Fe0.5O5+δ (PBSCF) cathodes and Ni-Ce0.8Sm0.2O1.9 (SDC) anodes on a yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) backbone.
- To evaluate the electrochemical performance and stability of symmetrical and single SOFCs utilizing these nanostructured electrodes.
- To demonstrate the potential of these SOFCs for operation on hydrogen and methane fuels.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of nanostructured PBSCF cathode and Ni-SDC anode via solution infiltration onto a porous YSZ backbone.
- Testing of symmetrical PBSCF|YSZ|PBSCF cells to determine interfacial polarization resistance and degradation.
- Evaluation of Ni-SDC|YSZ|PBSCF single cells for peak power density, thermal cycling stability, and coking tolerance on H2 and CH4.
Main Results:
- Symmetrical cells achieved a low interfacial polarization resistance of 0.03 Ω cm2 with minimal degradation over 600 hours at 700 °C.
- Single cells reached a peak power density of 0.62 W cm-2 at 650 °C on H2 and demonstrated good thermal cycling stability for 110 hours.
- Single cells exhibited excellent coking tolerance, maintaining stable operation on CH4 for over 120 hours.
Conclusions:
- Solution infiltration is an effective method for fabricating high-performance, nanostructured SOFC electrodes.
- The developed SOFCs show promising durability, stability, and fuel flexibility, particularly for natural gas utilization.
- This approach offers a viable pathway for advancing practical, high-performance solid oxide fuel cell technology.
