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Solid Oxide Fuel Cells – The Low Temperature Challenge
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Solid Oxide Fuel Cells – The Low Temperature Challenge

A special issue of Catalysts (ISSN 2073-4344). This special issue belongs to the section "Electrocatalysis".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2019) | Viewed by 26844

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Paola Costamagna

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry (DCCI), University of Genoa, 16126 Genoa, Italy
Interests: intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cell (IT-SOFC); low temperature solid oxide fuel cell (LT-SOFC); mixed ionic electronic conductor (MIEC); solid-state electrolyte; nano-structured electrode; internal reforming; demonstration; balance of plant (BOP); life cycle analysis (LCA); thermoeconomic analysis; fault detections and isolation (FDI)
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) are the most efficient technology yet invented for the conversion of the chemical energy of fuels directly into electrical energy. SOFCs are all-solid-state power systems, their heart being the oxygen-ion conducting electrolyte. At present, the state-of-the-art electrolyte is the same used in the Nernst glower lamp in 1899: yttria stabilized zirconia, which requires an operating temperature of 850-900°C, resulting in materials limitations and operating complexity. This special issue collects original research papers, reviews and commentaries focused on the challenge of lowering the operating temperature to 600-800°C (IT-SOFC, i.e. Intermediate Temperature SOFC) or even down to approximately 350°C (LT-SOFC, i.e. Low Temperature SOFC), as well as on the associated challenge of increasing lifetime. Submissions are welcome in all areas of IT-SOFC and LT-SOFC science and engineering:

  • High conductivity electrolyte materials and architectures;
  • Nano-structured electrodes;
  • Electro-catalysis;
  • Metallic interconnects and supports;
  • Single cell and stack demonstration;
  • Internal fuel processing;
  • Balance of Plant (BOP) components;
  • Modelling at the electrolyte - electrode - cell - stack - plant level;
  • Life cycle and thermoeconomic analysis;
  • Control and Fault Detections and Isolation (FDI) tools.
Prof. Dr. Paola Costamagna
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • Intermediate Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (IT-SOFC)
  • Low Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (LT-SOFC)
  • Mixed Ionic Electronic Conductor (MIEC)
  • Solid-State Electrolyte
  • Nano-Structured Electrode
  • Internal Reforming
  • Demonstration
  • Balance of Plant (BOP)
  • Life Cycle Analysis (LCA)
  • Thermoeconomic Analysis
  • Fault Detections and Isolation (FDI)

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 4634 KiB  
Article
Distribution of Relaxation Times and Equivalent Circuits Analysis of Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3−δ
by Davide Clematis, Sabrina Presto, Maria Paola Carpanese, Antonio Barbucci, Francesca Deganello, Leonarda Francesca Liotta, Chiara Aliotta and Massimo Viviani
Catalysts 2019, 9(5), 441; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal9050441 - 11 May 2019
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3771
Abstract
The phenomena taking place in Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3−δ (BSCF) as cathodic material in solid oxide fuel cells are investigated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. BSCF powders are prepared by solution combustion synthesis. Measurements are collected at different [...] Read more.
The phenomena taking place in Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3−δ (BSCF) as cathodic material in solid oxide fuel cells are investigated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. BSCF powders are prepared by solution combustion synthesis. Measurements are collected at different temperatures, under various bias potentials and also recorded after long-term operation. Impedance spectra are thoroughly analyzed by the distribution of relaxation times (DRT) approach and compared to the standard equivalent circuits method. At 700 °C, losses are dominated by ionic conduction and charge transfer at the electrode/electrolyte interface, while oxygen adsorption and bulk diffusion provide a minor contribution to polarization. The performances of pristine materials are remarkable as a very low polarization resistance is measured at 700 °C. After prolonged testing at operative temperature, the BSCF cathodes show increasing total polarization resistance, especially due to progressive limitations in the migration of oxygen ions, caused by secondary phase formation. DRT analysis supports the physical interpretation of phenomena taking place in the material and shows the formation of a new contribution at low frequency which can be ascribed to partial decomposition of BSCF. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solid Oxide Fuel Cells – The Low Temperature Challenge)
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11 pages, 2365 KiB  
Article
Fabrication and Electrochemical Performance of Zn-Doped La0.2Sr0.25Ca0.45TiO3 Infiltrated with Nickel-CGO, Iron, and Cobalt as an Alternative Anode Material for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells
by Nazan Muzaffar, Nasima Arshad, Daniel Bøgh Drasbæk, Bhaskar Reddy Sudireddy and Peter Holtappels
Catalysts 2019, 9(3), 269; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal9030269 - 16 Mar 2019
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3152
Abstract
In solid oxide fuel cells, doped strontium titinates have been widely studied as anode materials due to their high n-type conductivity. They are used as current conducting backbones as an alternative to nickel-cermets, which suffer degradation due to coking, sulphur poisoning, and low [...] Read more.
In solid oxide fuel cells, doped strontium titinates have been widely studied as anode materials due to their high n-type conductivity. They are used as current conducting backbones as an alternative to nickel-cermets, which suffer degradation due to coking, sulphur poisoning, and low tolerance to redox cycling. In this work, anode backbone materials were synthesized from La0.2Sr0.25Ca0.45TiO3−δ (LSCTA-), modified with 5 wt.% Zn, and infiltrated with nickel (Ni)/ceria gadolinium-doped cerium oxide (CGO), Fe, and Co. The electrodes were further studied for their electrochemical performance using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) at open circuit voltage (OCV) in different hydrogen to steam ratios and at various operating temperatures (850–650 °C). Infiltration of electrocatalysts significantly reduced the polarization resistance and among the studied infiltrates, at all operating temperatures, Ni-CGO showed excellent electrode performance. The polarization resistances in 3% and 50% H2O/H2 atmosphere were found to be 0.072 and 0.025 Ω cm2, respectively, at 850 °C, and 0.091 and 0.076 Ω cm2, respectively, at 750 °C, with Ni-CGO. These values are approximately three orders of magnitude smaller than the polarization resistance (25 Ω cm2) of back bone material measured at 750 °C. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solid Oxide Fuel Cells – The Low Temperature Challenge)
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27 pages, 3938 KiB  
Article
A Multiscale Approach to the Numerical Simulation of the Solid Oxide Fuel Cell
by Marcin Mozdzierz, Katarzyna Berent, Shinji Kimijima, Janusz S. Szmyd and Grzegorz Brus
Catalysts 2019, 9(3), 253; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal9030253 - 12 Mar 2019
Cited by 37 | Viewed by 4979
Abstract
The models of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), which are available in the open literature, may be categorized into two non-overlapping groups: microscale or macroscale. Recent progress in computational power makes it possible to formulate a model which combines both approaches, the so-called [...] Read more.
The models of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), which are available in the open literature, may be categorized into two non-overlapping groups: microscale or macroscale. Recent progress in computational power makes it possible to formulate a model which combines both approaches, the so-called multiscale model. The novelty of this modeling approach lies in the combination of the microscale description of the transport phenomena and electrochemical reactions’ with the computational fluid dynamics model of the heat and mass transfer in an SOFC. In this work, the mathematical model of a solid oxide fuel cell which takes into account the averaged microstructure parameters of electrodes is developed and tested. To gain experimental data, which are used to confirm the proposed model, the electrochemical tests and the direct observation of the microstructure with the use of the focused ion beam combined with the scanning electron microscope technique (FIB-SEM) were conducted. The numerical results are compared with the experimental data from the short stack examination and a fair agreement is found, which shows that the proposed model can predict the cell behavior accurately. The mechanism of the power generation inside the SOFC is discussed and it is found that the current is produced primarily near the electrolyte–electrode interface. Simulations with an artificially changed microstructure does not lead to the correct prediction of the cell characteristics, which indicates that the microstructure is a crucial factor in the solid oxide fuel cell modeling. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solid Oxide Fuel Cells – The Low Temperature Challenge)
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18 pages, 4530 KiB  
Article
A 2-D model for Intermediate Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells Preliminarily Validated on Local Values
by Bruno Conti, Barbara Bosio, Stephen John McPhail, Francesca Santoni, Davide Pumiglia and Elisabetta Arato
Catalysts 2019, 9(1), 36; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal9010036 - 2 Jan 2019
Cited by 23 | Viewed by 3732
Abstract
Intermediate Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (IT-SOFC) technology offers interesting opportunities in the panorama of a larger penetration of renewable and distributed power generation, namely high electrical efficiency at manageable scales for both remote and industrial applications. In order to optimize the performance [...] Read more.
Intermediate Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (IT-SOFC) technology offers interesting opportunities in the panorama of a larger penetration of renewable and distributed power generation, namely high electrical efficiency at manageable scales for both remote and industrial applications. In order to optimize the performance and the operating conditions of such a pre-commercial technology, an effective synergy between experimentation and simulation is fundamental. For this purpose, starting from the SIMFC (SIMulation of Fuel Cells) code set-up and successfully validated for Molten Carbonate Fuel Cells, a new version of the code has been developed for IT-SOFCs. The new release of the code allows the calculation of the maps of the main electrical, chemical, and physical parameters on the cell plane of planar IT-SOFCs fed in co-flow. A semi-empirical kinetic formulation has been set-up, identifying the related parameters thanks to a devoted series of experiments, and integrated in SIMFC. Thanks to a multi-sampling innovative experimental apparatus the simultaneous measurement of temperature and gas composition on the cell plane was possible, so that a preliminary validation of the model on local values was carried out. A good agreement between experimental and simulated data was achieved in terms of cell voltages and local temperatures, but also, for the first time, in terms of local concentration on the cell plane, encouraging further developments. This numerical tool is proposed for a better interpretation of the phenomena occurring in IT-SOFCs and a consequential optimization of their performance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solid Oxide Fuel Cells – The Low Temperature Challenge)
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12 pages, 3865 KiB  
Article
Steam vs. Dry Reformer: Experimental Study on a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Short Stack
by Linda Barelli, Gianni Bidini and Giovanni Cinti
Catalysts 2018, 8(12), 599; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal8120599 - 2 Dec 2018
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3200
Abstract
Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) systems operating with methane usually are equipped with an external reformer to produce syngas. The conventional applied technology is steam methane reforming. Recent studies, instead, are presenting dry reforming as potential alternative. Advantages come from the substitution of [...] Read more.
Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) systems operating with methane usually are equipped with an external reformer to produce syngas. The conventional applied technology is steam methane reforming. Recent studies, instead, are presenting dry reforming as potential alternative. Advantages come from the substitution of steam with CO2 to be handled in the system, representing a potential strategy of CO2 reuse. This study compares, the performance of a SOFC short stack operating with dry reforming and with steam reforming mixtures respectively. Results show that higher performances can be obtained under same operating conditions, due to the high concentration of syngas (that has low content of inert species) produced via dry reforming. The analysis of different dry reforming concentrations shows that the amount of methane seems to be more relevant, in terms of voltage performances, than high hydrogen concentration. Among tested dry reforming compositions, the most performing exhibits an improvement of at least 5% in produced voltage in the range 150–375 mA cm−2 with respect to mixture produced by steam reforming (S/C ratio of 2.5). It was also proved that this performance enhancement does not imply greater thermal stresses, since stack temperature slightly reduces and lower temperature variations arise at anode and cathode when operating current varies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solid Oxide Fuel Cells – The Low Temperature Challenge)
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14 pages, 6769 KiB  
Article
Structural and Electrical Characterization of Sputter-Deposited Gd0.1Ce0.9O2−δ Thin Buffer Layers at the Y-Stabilized Zirconia Electrolyte Interface for IT-Solid Oxide Cells
by Nunzia Coppola, Pierpaolo Polverino, Giovanni Carapella, Chiara Sacco, Alice Galdi, Alberto Ubaldini, Vincenzo Vaiano, Dario Montinaro, Luigi Maritato and Cesare Pianese
Catalysts 2018, 8(12), 571; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal8120571 - 22 Nov 2018
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3408
Abstract
The use of a doped Ceria buffer layer and Physical Vapour Deposition (PVD) techniques for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC) fabrication can limit the former, the formation of electrical insulating lanthanum, and strontium zirconates at the cathode/electrolyte interface, whereas the latter allows a [...] Read more.
The use of a doped Ceria buffer layer and Physical Vapour Deposition (PVD) techniques for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC) fabrication can limit the former, the formation of electrical insulating lanthanum, and strontium zirconates at the cathode/electrolyte interface, whereas the latter allows a better control of the materials interfaces. These effects allow for operation at intermediate temperature ranges. In this work, we study the structural and electrical properties of Gadolinium Doped Ceria (GDC) barrier layer deposited via the room temperature RF Sputtering technique on anode supported electrolytes and then annealed at high temperature. The crystal structure and the surface morphology of the GDC barrier layers have been analyzed and optimized varying the temperature ramp of the post-growth annealing procedure. The electrical behavior of the obtained samples has been investigated by Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy and compared to that of standard SOFC with screen-printed GDC barrier layers, the former showing a maximum high frequency and low frequency resistances reduction of about 50% and 46%, respectively, with respect to the latter at an operating temperature of 650 °C. The results clearly show an important improvement of SOFC performances when using sputter deposited GDC layers, linking the electrical properties to the structural and stoichiometric ones. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solid Oxide Fuel Cells – The Low Temperature Challenge)
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14 pages, 6951 KiB  
Article
A Three-Dimensional Numerical Assessment of Heterogeneity Impact on a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell’s Anode Performance
by Tomasz A. Prokop, Katarzyna Berent, Janusz S. Szmyd and Grzegorz Brus
Catalysts 2018, 8(11), 503; https://doi.org/10.3390/catal8110503 - 28 Oct 2018
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 3734
Abstract
In this research, a fully three-dimensional, multiphase, microstructure-scale heterogeneous (non-continuous) electrode, Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) stack model is implemented in order to assess the impact of homogeneity disturbance in an SOFC anode. The Butler–Volmer model is combined with recent empirical relations for [...] Read more.
In this research, a fully three-dimensional, multiphase, microstructure-scale heterogeneous (non-continuous) electrode, Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) stack model is implemented in order to assess the impact of homogeneity disturbance in an SOFC anode. The Butler–Volmer model is combined with recent empirical relations for conductivity and aspects of the Maxwell–Boltzmann kinetic theory describing the transport of mass within the porous medium. Methods for the localized quantification of electrode morphology parameters (such as triple phase boundary length) are implemented. The exchange current distribution in the electrode, the partial pressures and the electric potential fields for each phase are computed numerically. In order to simulate heterogeneity, transfer barriers of varying placement and size are added to an otherwise homogeneous, virtual microstructure based on data from FIB-SEM tomography. The results are compared to a model based on the continuous electrode theory, and the points of discrepancy are highlighted. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solid Oxide Fuel Cells – The Low Temperature Challenge)
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