Performance Degradation of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells with Metallic Interconnects

Abstract

Factors influencing the performance degradation of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) include oxide scale growth on metallic interconnects, Cr poisoning, interfacial interactions, contact losses, and cell component aging. This research was to investigate the transport and interaction mechanisms of Cr- containing species with SOFC cathode/contact materials and evaluate the impact on the electrochemical performance. To reduce the degradation rate, a protective coating has been developed and evaluated with long-term cell/stack testing. Degradation rate has been significantly reduced with the coating on commercially available ferritic steel interconnects, primarily due to significant reduction in Cr formation and transport through the coating.