PC-SOFC -Proton conducting solid oxide fuel cell IT-SOFC -Intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cell
IntroductionFuel cells are widely regarded as a next generation technology that will contribute to reductions in emissions of gases responsible for climate change such as CO 2 . There are several modifications to the basic concept of a fuel cell that allow operation over a wide variety of temperatures and with differing fuels. One of the most promising types of fuel cell for large scale power generation and combined heat and power applications is the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC). The solid oxide fuel cell offers many advantages over conventional combustion-based power generation technologies and has been the subject of intensive investigation for many years. As with all other fuel cells the SOFC is an electrochemical energy conversion device that converts the chemical energy contained within a fuel (for example, H 2 ) to useful electrical energy through an electrochemical oxidation process. Using the simplest fuel as an example the overall chemical reaction occurring is: To achieve this overall reaction it is essential that we consider the basic components of the fuel cell. A SOFC consists of three ceramic functional components (anode "fuel side", cathode "air side" and electrolyte) plus an electrical interconnect that is either ceramic or metallic depending upon the operating environment. These 4 components are referred to as the fuel cell and to achieve suitable power outputs these individual cells are connected to form a fuel cell stack. Schematics of two alternative designs of a single fuel cell are shown in Figure 1.At the anode the fuel is oxidised with the oxidant (oxygen) reduced at the cathode.These two components are separated by a gas tight electrolyte membrane that is a pure ionic conductor, transporting the oxide ion species from the cathode to the fuel side. This process releases electrons to an external circuit, providing the useful electrical power. These reactions are summarised as:cathode reaction Evidently these electrode reactions are significantly more complex than shown in equations 1.1. and 1.2 and fuller discussions of the proposed fuel oxidation and oxygen reduction electrode reactions are given in [1][2][3][4].It is therefore clear that in a solid oxide fuel cell there are many processes that require optimised materials, and consequently the SOFC is a complex solid state device. As a summary, it is essential that the electrolyte is a gas tight, pure ionic conductor stable over a wide pO 2 range (>10 -24 atm). Anodes have to possess stability in reducing conditions with both high ionic and electronic conductivity, and chemical compatibility with the electrolyte material. Similar properties are required for the cathode with the exception that stability is now in oxidising environments.Additionally the cathode has to be catalytically active towards oxygen reduction, which is often a rate limiting process, particularly at lower temperatures of operation (<650 o C). These are demanding pr...