Abstract
Fabrication of microporous structures for the anode of a thin film solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC(s)) using controlled etching process has led us to increased power density and increased cell robustness. Micropores were etched in the nickel anode by both wet and electrochemical etching processes. The samples etched electrochemically showed incomplete etching of the nickel leaving linked nickel islands inside the pores. Samples which were wet- etched showed clean pores with no nickel island residues. Moreover, the sample with linked nickel islands in the anode pores showed higher output power density as compared to the sample with clean pores. This enhancement is related to the enlargement of the surface of contact between the fuel-anode-electrolyte (the triple-phase boundary).
Highlights
The world's extensive use of petroleum increased drastically in the last decades causing a sharp drop in the world reserves and resultant environmental concerns
The thin film solid oxide fuel cell fabrication process flow is illustrated in Figure 1, wherein the nickel foils were treated for a short time in a mixture of acetic, nitric, sulphuric, and phosphoric acids to remove any rolling marks left on the foil surface followed by a degreasing process
The crystalline structures of the successive layers of the fabricated fuel cells were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements which were carried out using a Siemens D-5000 spectrometer (Erlangen, Germany)
Summary
The world's extensive use of petroleum increased drastically in the last decades causing a sharp drop in the world reserves and resultant environmental concerns. The major shortcomings of these types of fuels are their lower combustion efficiency and the larger volumes needed for machines that convert the fuel to electrical energy. This opens the field for more research on the development of low-volume and high-efficiency generators in order to use these fuels in a wide range. A number of hydrogen-oxygen-operated fuel cell designs already exist; solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are one of the most attractive fuel cell types due to their high energy efficiency and environmental friendliness [4]. Thick solid oxide fuel cells exhibited 0.2 to 1 W/cm with 60% to 70% reported efficiency but at undesired high operating temperatures >800°C [5,6].
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