Characterization of laser-processed thin ceramic membranes for electrolyte-supported solid oxide fuel cells

Abstract

By laser machining we have prepared thin and self-supported yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) electrolytes that can be used in electrolyte-supported Solid Oxide Fuel Cells for reducing the operation temperature. The membranes, which are supported by thicker areas of the same material, have an active area of ~20 µm in thickness and up to 8 mm in diameter. Buckling limits the maximum size of the thin areas to below 1 mm, the overall effective active area being formed by multiple thin areas bounded by ribs. ElectronBackscattering Diffraction experiments determined that there are not significant strains inside the membranes and that the heat-affected zone is confined to a shallow layer of ~1-2 µm. The bending strength of the membranes decreases by ~26% as a result of the surface microcracking produced by the laser machining. The membranes have a roughness of ~2.5 µm and are coated by a layer of nanoparticles produced by the laser ablation. This coating and small roughness is not detrimental for the cathodic polarization of the cells. Conversely, the cathode polarization resistance decreases ~5% in the 650-850 ºC temperature range.

3D printing the next generation of enhanced solid oxide fuel and electrolysis cells

“…3c and g) and corrugated cells (Fig. 3d and h), overcoming the problems reported by Cebollero et al 38,39 Moreover, the same set of gures shows a suitable homogeneous and highly porous microstructure for the different electrodes conrming the high quality of the fabricated cells.…”

Tailoring the electrode-electrolyte interface of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC) by laser micro-patterning to improve their electrochemical performance

“…In fact, we have previously used this technique for preparing thin and self-supporting electrolytic membranes for SOFCs [29]. We have previously reported that the slight roughness produced by the laser ablation mechanism on YSZ surfaces, probably combined with the coating of nanoparticles resulting from the machining procedure, caused a decrease in the cathodic polarisation of about 5% in the 650-850 ºC temperature range [30]. This experimental finding reinforced our initial assumption that laser machining could be an appropriate technique for increasing the density of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) sites at the cathode.…”

Optimization of laser-patterned YSZ-LSM composite cathode-electrolyte interfaces for solid oxide fuel cells

“…The nominal power is 2 W and the minimum pulse width 5 ns. Additional details of the equipment used and the experimental set up can be found in references [17] and [24].…”