Curvature Reversal and Residual Stress in Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Induced by Chemical Shrinkage and Expansion

Abstract

AbstractStructural stability of layered functional ceramic composites is challenged by curvature effects and residual stresses caused by the thermal mismatch and chemical strains. In this study, a phenomenon of curvature reversal is found in the half‐cell structure of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) during the reduction of the half‐cell from NiO‐YSZ to Ni‐YSZ. An analytical model is derived to study the curvature and residual stress caused by the chemical shrinkage and expansion of anode. With reducing to Ni‐YSZ, the curvature of the half‐cell changes from the initial direction to an opposite direction, then back to the initial direction. This curvature reversal is inevitable during reduction while the thickness ratio of electrolyte to anode is between 0 and 0.102. The residual stress in electrolyte, calculated by the analytical model, is well agreement with the experiment result using X‐ray stress analysis. The YSZ layer is always subjected to compressive stress in despite of curvature reversal existing in half‐cell. It is impossible to get the residual stress by measuring the curvature unless the half‐cell was reduced completely.