The Effect of cathode Porosity on Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Performance

Abstract

In the present study, the effect of porosity on the cathode microstructure (50:50 wt. % LSM: YSZ) of a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) has been examined. A 3-D finite element method for Mixed Ionic and Electronic Conducting Cathodes (MIEC) is presented to study the effects of porosity on cell performance. Each microstructure was realized using the Monte Carlo approach with the isotropic type of growth rate. The effect of porosity on the cathode of a solid oxide fuel cell involving the Three Phase Boundary Length (TPBL), electric conductivity of LSM phase, ionic conductivity of YSZ, mechanical behavior and tortuosity of the pore phase were explored in the present work. The cathode having a porosity value between 31 and 34% revealed the maximum TPBL value as well as a high variation in the electrical conductivity of the LSM phase. Pore phase tortuosity was also decreased by increasing the porosity factor.