Boosting intermediate temperature performance of solid oxide fuel cells via a tri‐layer ceria–zirconia–ceria electrolyte

Abstract

AbstractUsing cost‐effective fabrication methods to manufacture a high‐performance solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) is helpful to enhance the commercial viability. Here, we report an anode‐supported SOFC with a three‐layer Gd0.1Ce0.9O1.95 (gadolinia‐doped‐ceria [GDC])/Y0.148Zr0.852O1.926 (8YSZ)/GDC electrolyte system. The first dense GDC electrolyte is fabricated by co‐sintering a thin, screen‐printed GDC layer with the anode support (NiO–8YSZ substrate and NiO–GDC anode) at 1400°C for 5 h. Subsequently, two electrolyte layers are deposited via physical vapor deposition. The total electrolyte thickness is less than 5 μm in an area of 5 × 5 cm2, enabling an area‐specific ohmic resistance as low as 0.125 Ω cm−2 at 500°C (under open circuit voltage), and contributing to a power density as high as 1.2 W cm−2 at 650°C (at an operating cell voltage of 0.7 V, using humidified [10 vol.% H2O] H2 as fuel and air as oxidant). This work provides an effective strategy and shows the great potential of using GDC as an electrolyte for high‐performance SOFC at intermediate temperature.