Effect of the anode microstructure on the enhanced performance of solid oxide fuel cells

Anode microstructure has a vital effect on the performance of anode supported solid oxide fuel cells. High electrical conductivity, gas permeability and low polarization are the required features of anodes to achieve high power densities. The desired properties of the anodes were obtained by modifying their microstructural development using pyrolyzable pore former particles without introducing any functional layers and compositional modifications. The microstructures of fabricated anodes were characterized using scanning electron microscopy and mercury intrusion porosimetry techniques while their electrochemical properties were identified using impedance spectroscopy and voltammetric measurements. Detailed investigations demonstrated that the pore structure has a major impact on the electrical conductivity, polarization and gas permeability of the anodes. Through tailoring of conventional anode microstructures, a significantly high power density of 1.54 W/cm2 was achieved at 800 °C using diluted hydrogen (10% H2 in argon) as fuel.