3D printed electrolyte-supported solid oxide cells based on Ytterbium-doped scandia-stabilized zirconia

Abstract

Solid oxide cells are an efficient and cost-effective energy conversion technology able to operate reversibly in fuel cell and electrolysis mode. Electrolyte-supported solid oxide cells have been recently fabricated employing 3D printing to generate unique geometries with never-explored capabilities. However, the use of the state-of-the-art electrolyte based on yttria-stabilized zirconia limits the current performance of such printed devices due to a limited oxide-ion conductivity. In the last years, alternative electrolytes such as scandia-stabilized zirconia became more popular to increase the performance of electrolyte-supported cells. In this work, stereolithography 3D printing of scandia-stabilized zirconia co-doped with ytterbia was developed to fabricate solid oxide cells with planar and corrugated architectures. Symmetrical and full cells with about 250 μm-thick electrolytes were fabricated and electrochemically characterized using impedance spectroscopy and galvanostatic studies. Maximum power density of 500mW/cm2 in fuel cell mode and an injected current of 1A/cm2 at 1.3V in electrolysis mode, both measured at 900ºC, were obtained demonstrating the feasibility of 3D printing for the fabrication of high-performance electrolyte-supported solid oxide cells. This, together with excellent stability proved for more than 350h of operation, opens a new scenario for using complex-shaped solid oxide cells in real applications.