SOLID OXIDE FUEL

CELLS

Sahib Gafarov
Baku Higher Oil School

1
 Outline

Introduction

Fuel Cells

Solid Oxide Fuel

Cells
Electrolytes
Anodes
Cathodes
Conclusion and final remarks
 INTRODUCTION

Greenhouse gas emissions

Energy conversion technologies with low emission are

required.
Increasing energy demand and depletion of
fuel resources
Technologies with higher energy conversion efficiency
are required.
Fuels other than fossil
fuels
Technologies for converting non-conventional fuels to
energy efficiently are required.
 FUEL CELLS

Fuel cells are devices converting chemical energy directly

to electricity by electrochemical reactions.
Higher efficiency
Fuel flexibility

Low noise
Higher energy density compared to
batteries
Ability to operate at a range of
temperatures
Simpler construction and higher
reliability
 FUEL CELLS
PEMFC PAFC AFC MCFC SOFC
Electrolyte Polymer Liquid H3PO4 Liquid KOH Molten Ceramic
membrane (immobilized) (immobilized) Carbonate
ChargeCarrier H+ H+ OH- CO3 2- O 2-
Operating 80 C 200 C 60-220 C 650 C 600-1000 C
temperature

Catalyst Platinum Platinum Platinum Nickel Perovskites

Cell Carbon based Carbon based Carbon based Stainless Ceramic based
components based

Fuel H2, Methanol H2 H2 H2,CH4 H2, CH4, CO

compatibility

Fuels: fossil fuels, coal, biomass, biogas, alcohol and

hydrogen
 SOLID OXIDE FUEL CELLS
(SOFCs)
Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) are fuel cells employ solid ceramic as an
electrolyte material ant operating at high temperatures (800-1000 C).

Cathode side
reaction
O2+4e - =
2O2-

Anode side
reactions
H2+O2-=
H2O+2e
a) Oxide ion conducted b) Proton conducted operation CO+ O2=
operation CO2+2e
 SOLID OXIDE FUEL CELLS
(SOFCs) Advantages
No maintenance for electrolyte
Water gas shift reaction , 206 corrosion
No need to expensive catalysts such
kJ/mol at 25C
as Ru, Pt
Relatively more tolerable to
impurities in fuel
Low cost of natural gas reforming
Higher efficiency when coupled
with cogeneration
Relatively more tolerable to
impurities in fuel
Disadvantages
Material challenges due to high
temperature
Safety issues and limited portable
applications due to high
temperature.
 Anode materials
In the triple phase boundary of anode main electrochemical reactions takes
place and electrons are transpired via external circuit to cathode.

Electronic conductivity >100 S/cm

Sufficient electrocatalytic activity

Chemical stability to CO, H2, hydrocarbons and

fuel impurities
Inactive to carbon deposition

Thermal stability at high

temperatures
Minimum Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (TEC)
mismatch with other cell components
 Anode materials
Nickel
Nickel has 210^5 S/cm electronic
conductivity
Suffers from CTE mismatch

Ni-YZS
Cement
Operating temperature in range of 600-1200 C, electrical
conductivity 102-104 S/cm
Low CTE mismatch
Adherence problem to electrolyte material
Ni to Ni-O anodic re-oxidation leading to anodic expansion redox instability.
Expansion stress emerges at anode-electrolyte interface.
Vulnerability to cocking and sulfur poisoning

Coarsening and agglomeration when exposed to high temperatures (600-1000

C) for long periods of time
 Anode materials
Transition metals have been suggested instead of Ni o prevent
cocking
Decreased cell efficiency has been recorded.

Copper
materials
Cu is inactive to carbon deposition.

However, Cu is also inactive to C-H, C-C bond breaking. It is not suitable

for direct oxidation.
Cu-Ni Alloys

Copper material with various Ni concentration has been tested (0%,

10%, 20%, 50% and 100%)
For 20% Ni, 80% Cu, optimum electronic conductivity, sufficient catalytic
activity, reduced carbon deposition observed
 Electrolyte materials

The electrolyte is the component of the cell responsible for conducting ions
between the electrodes, for the separation of the reacting gases and for the
internal electronic conduction blocking, forcing the electrons to flow through
the external circuit
Sufficiently high oxide ion conductivity >0.1 S/cm

Electron transfer number below <10^-3

Insignificant volatilization
Inert to electrode materials
CTE match with adjacent cell components
Mechanical reliability (>400 MPa fracture
strength)
Chemical and thermodynamic stability (between 20 C - 1000 C and (1-
10^-22 atm) oxygen partial pressure)
 Electrolyte materials
Host ion jumps to neighboring vacancy site and vacancy concentration
determines kinetics of oxygen ion transport

a) ZrO2 and CeO2 crystal structure

b) Oxygen ion migration path representation

c) Representative crystals structure of

LaGaO3, LaMnO3 and LaCoO3 systems

d) Ion migration path for LaGaO3, LaMnO3

and LaCoO3
 Cathode materials
Yttria -stabilized zirconia (YSZ)

ZrO2 holding 15 % Y2O3 (YSZ) is the first material ionic conductivity was observed

YSZ shows lowest ionic conductivity (0.14 S cm-1 for 8% yttria

added at 1000 C)
Operating temperature is too high

Scandia-stabilized zirconia (ScSZ)

ScSZ has shown increased ion conductivity at lower

temperatures (<600 C)
Suitable material for low and intermediate temperature SOFCs (LT-
SOFCs and IT-SOFCs)
At higher temperatures (>1000 C) low Sc concentration (<10 %),
aging effects and decreased ionic conductivity is observed (0.12 S cm-
1 compared 0.28 S cm-1 at 600 C)
 Cathode materials

Ceria Materials

For CeO2Gd2O3 electrical conductivity decreases with increasing

amount of Gd and decreasing temperature.

SOFC with CeO2Gd2O3 electrolyte demonstrated higher overall cell

efficiency at higher oxygen partial pressure.

CeO2Gd2O3 is suitable for LT SOFCs

 Cathode materials

Cathode materials reduce molecular oxygen, distribute electrical current

associated with that reduction and transport charged particles (oxide ions) to
electrolyte

Sufficient electronic conductivity (>100 S/cm)

Matching CTE with other cell components
Combatable with other cell materials not to allow change in material
chemistry at high high temperatures and oxidizing atmosphere
Porous to allow oxide ion transfer to cathode-electrolyte
interface
Satisfactory catalytic properties
Cathode materials
Lanthanum
materials

LaBO3 (B cation can be e.g. Ti, Cr,

Ni, Co, Fe)
Lanthanum perovskite oxides with Co cation
as B site cation (LaCoO3 ) exibits high catality
activity
LaCoO3 is chemically instable to YSZ

This chemical stability issue needs to

be resolved
 Conclusion and final remarks

Ni-Cu alloys are promising anode material for low cocking and
poisoning effects as well as satisfactory catalytic effects

CeO2Gd2O3 ceria as electrolyte materials are satisfactory for good

performance at lower temperature which could make application of
SOFCs in portable devices viable.
High operating temperature is a constraint, with better cell stack
design, better fabrication methods and finding material selection need
for lower temperature needs to be eliminated or SOFCs operating at
lower temperatures should be constructed.
To eliminate the deteriorating effects of fuel impurities better fuel
supply system is required. This requirement but the burden on
upstream fuel production and significant improvements are expected in
the future with more strict legislation.
THANKS FOR ATTENTION