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DOE OSTI · 1044526

A reduced temperature solid oxide fuel cell with three-dimensionally ordered macroporous cathode

Abstract

Three-dimensionally ordered macroporous cathode was fabricated for a zirconia based micro-tubular solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). Three different cathodes (cathode A, no pore former; cathode B, with pore former (1.5 {micro}m in diameter); cathode C, with pore former (0.8 {micro}m in diameter)) were compared to investigate how the microstructure of it affected the cell performance at various operating temperatures. Micro-sized pores were well distributed within cathode B and C. The total porosity of cathode A is 35%, while it respectively reached 42 and 50% for cathodes B and C. At the same time, the specific surface area of them was 28.8 and 52.0% larger than that of the cathode A. As a result, the peak power density of the zirconia based cell, with cathode C, was 0.25 and 0.56 W cm{sup -2} at 550 and 600 C, while the respective value was just 0.11 and 0.30 W cm{sup -2} for the cell with cathode A. Thus, optimizing microstructure of cathode should be one of the best approaches for lowering the operating temperature for SOFCs.

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Liang, B, Suzuki, T, Hamamoto, K, Yamaguchi, T, Sumi, H, Fujishiro, Y, Ingram, B J, Carter, J D. 2012-01-01. A reduced temperature solid oxide fuel cell with three-dimensionally ordered macroporous cathode. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpowsour.2012.03.107

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