Comparison between FIB-SEM Experimental 3-D Reconstructions of SOFC Electrodes and Random Particle-Based Numerical Models

Abstract

There has been a rapidly growing interest in three-dimensional micro-structural reconstruction of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) electrodes so as to derive more accurate descriptors of the pertinent geometric and effective transport properties. Experimental based reconstruction technique is based on processing of a sequence of images obtained by dual-beam focused ion beam-scanning electron microscopy. Numerical reconstruction of electrodes is based on random distribution of particles with specified nominal phase volume fractions (porosity and electron-conducting particle volume fraction). In this study, we compare both approaches and investigate ways of improving model geometries so that they match better with experimental measurements.