Anodes microtubular SOFCs

Sammes N.M., Du Y., Bove R. (2005) Design and fabrication of a 100 W anode supported microtubular SOFC stack. Journal of Power Sources 145, 428 434. 

A typical design of a microtubular SOFC is shown in Figure 8.25. A YSZ electrolyte tube (typically 2 mm in diameter and about 150 pm wall thickness), is used as a support for the electrodes, as a gas inlet tube, and also as a combustor tube at its outlet. The overall length of the tube is between 100 and 200 mm, whereas the cell region only occupies a length of about 30 mm towards the outlet end of the tube. The Ni + YSZ anode, 30 mm long, is coated on the inner wall of... 

Othman, M.H.D. et al., High-Performance, Anode-Supported, Microtubular SOFC Prepared from Single-Step-Fabricated, Dual-Layer Hollow Fibers. Advanced Materials, 2011.23(21) 2480. 

For a more economical fabrication of microtubular SOFC with more reliability and flexibility in quality control, an advanced dry-jet wet extrusion technique, that is, a phase inversion-based co-extrusion process, followed by co-sintering and reduction processes was employed to fabricate a novel electroly te/anode dual-layer hollow fiber. Using the co-extrusion technique, one of the layers has to be thick in order to provide mechanical strength to the fiber, and in this design, the anode is chosen to be the thick layer due to the much lower ohmic losses (as shown in Figure 11.16). Use of co-extrusion has many advantages over conventional dry-jet wet extrusion methods such as simplified fabrication and better control over the manbrane structure. Furthermore, the risk of defects formation can be reduced and at the same time greater adhesion between the layers can be achieved. 

R. Campana, R.I. Merino, A. Larrea, I. VillarreaL and V.M. Orera, Fabrication, electrochemical characterization and thermal cycling of anode supported microtubular SOFC,... 

SOFCs have largely converged on standard configurations, such as tubular or planar, with the structural support provided by the electrolyte, the anode, the metallic intercormector, or an inert porous support material. Each of these concepts has its own combination of advantages and disadvantages. In this section, some unconventional SOFC configurations and devices are discussed, and their performance and potential applications are considered in comparison with the more conventional approaches. This will include microtubular fuel cells, mixed reactant fuel cells, micro-planar fuel cells, and dual proton-oxygen ion fuel cells. 

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