Publication date: 10th April 2024
Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) are capable of converting the chemical energy of various fuels, including hydrogen and hydrocarbons, into electrical energy through electrochemical reactions, facilitated by their high operating temperatures. Recently, ammonia has emerged as a promising candidate for SOFCs due to its potential as a hydrogen carrier and its status as a carbon-free fuel. While there is potential to directly utilize ammonia as a fuel to achieve efficient and clean power generation in SOFCs, concerns have been raised regarding the degradation of cell/stack components during electrochemical reactions in high-temperature ammonia environments. In this study, long-term tests were conducted using ammonia as a direct fuel, analyzing the causes of degradation over time and considering approaches to enhance durability. Cells were subjected to durability assessments using ammonia gas and similar mixed gases (N2+H2) alternately, showing approximately 9% degradation after over 250 hours of testing. Post-test analysis, including examination of the cell's microstructure, was conducted to understand the degradation phenomena.
This work was supported by the National Research Foundation (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT (Grant number 2022M3H4A1A04076616).