Publication date: 10th April 2024
Proton-conducting solid oxide electrolytes are highly desirable for steam electrolysis (PCEC) and fuel cells (PCFC) application at moderate to low temperatures, given their high ionic conductivity and inherent advantages in the gas flow configuration over traditional solid oxide cells in which the electrolyte is an oxygen ion. Despite the progress made with small-scale laboratory cells in recent years, a significant challenge continues to be upscaling robust and affordable planar-type devices. This paper presents recent updates on our effort toward scaling PCEC/PCFC devices using an industrially established inverse tape-casting route. Our cells are constructed using NiO-SrZr0.5Ce0.4Y0.1O3-δ as the substrate, which ensures minimal warping and no cracks in the end-fired state. After co-sintering at 1300 °C for 5 hours, the tri-layered green tapes achieved dense, gas-tight electrolyte layers with a He leakage rate well within the threshold necessary for cell operation (~5 × 10–5 hPa dm3 (s cm2)–1). Using Ba0.5La0.5CoO3−δ as the air electrode demonstrates remarkable capabilities and endurance within the 450-600°C temperature range, achieving a remarkable peak power density of 1.1 W cm-2 at 600 oC in the fuel cell mode and a high current density of 1.5 A cm-2 at 1.3 V in the electrolysis mode. Furthermore, scanning electron microscopy in combination with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and Atom probe tomography (APT) were used to analyze the structural modifications of the half-cells upon sintering at varying temperatures. It is apparent from the latter techniques that upon sintering above 1350 °C, the electrolyte material undergoes evident structural changes with new crystal defects that affect the perovskite host. The APT analysis clarifies the distribution and concentration of segregated cations around the grains' vicinity. These issues and polarization processes that influence performance in the fuel cell mode identified through impedance spectra analysis will be presented.
The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support through NEDO (International collaboration work in the field of clean energy) No: No. 20001458-0, JSPS KAKENHI Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C), No. 19K05672, the International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research (I2CNER) sponsored by the World Premier International Research Center Initiative (WPI), MEXT Japan and the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres under the POF-MTET program.
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