Design and Development of Atmospheric Plasma Sprayed Ceramic Anodes for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells Operating under High Fuel Utilization Conditions

• Main Author: Zarzalejo, Maria
• Other Authors: Kesler, Olivera
• Language: en_ca
• Published: 2012
• Subjects: SOFC anodes; High fuel utilization; Plasma spray; Ceramic materials; 0791; 0794
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1807/42429

High fuel utilization SOFCs could eliminate emissions from systems that include afterburners and potentially be suitable for carbon sequestration, while producing electricity more efficiently. Current fuel utilization operating points are typically chosen at approximately 85% for Ni-cermet anodes because higher fuel utilization frequently results in the formation of nickel oxide and reduces drastically the performance of the SOFC. In this work the feasibility of an in-plane graded anode architecture with a transition from a material with high catalytic activity to materials more stable under high fuel utilization conditions was evaluated through a steady-state SOFC finite element model. Thereafter, plasma spraying of solution precursor feedstock (SPPS) and suspension feedstock (SPS) was used to fabricate ceramic coatings that could potentially be used as SOFC anodes for high fuel utilization conditions. Microstructural, electrical and electrochemical properties of LST, LSBT and LSFCr coatings with additions of carbon black pore former were investigated.