Impedance analysis of a disk-type SOFC using doped lanthanum gallate under power generation

Impedance measurements were carried out under practical power generation conditions in a disk-type SOFC, which may be utilized as a small-scale power generator. The tested cell was composed of doped lanthanum gallate (La0.8Sr0.2Ga0.8Mg0.15Co0.05O3−δ) as the electrolyte, Sm0.5Sr0.5CoO3 as the cathode electrode and Ni/Ce0.8Sm0.2O2 cermet as the anode electrode. The cell impedance was measured between 10 mHz and 10 kHz by varying the fuel utilization and gas flow rate and plotted in complex impedance diagrams. The observed impedance shows a large semi-circular pattern on the low frequency side. The semi-circular impedance, having a noticeably low characteristic frequency between 0.13 and 0.4 Hz, comes from the change in gas composition, originally caused by the cell reaction. The change in impedance with the fuel utilization (load current) and the gas flow rate agreed qualitatively well with the theoretical predictions from a simulation. This impedance was dominant under high fuel-utilization power-generation conditions. The impedance, which described the activation polarizations in the electrode reactions, was comparatively small and scarcely changed with the change in fuel utilization (load current) and gas flow rate.