Influence of patterned electrode geometry on performance of co-planar, single-chamber, solid oxide fuel cell

Abstract

Co-planar, single-chamber, solid oxide fuel cells (SC-SOFCs) with linearly patterned electrode structures on one surface of the electrolyte are fabricated via a robo-dispensing method. The SC-SOFCs with various electrode patterns are prepared to investigate the relationship between electrode geometry and cell performance. The open-circuit voltage (OCV) for cells with a single electrode pair is unaffected by the anode-to-cathode distance. By contrast, for cells with multiple electrode pairs, increasing the number of electrode pairs leads to a gradual decrease in OCV. These observations confirm that the inter-mixing of product gases causes a loss in OCV and power density, which in turn reduces the oxygen partial pressure gradient between the anode and cathode. Keeping the electrode pairs apart by ∼4 mm permits cells with complex electrode geometry to exhibit higher OCVs and power densities.