A Global Framework for Examination of Degradation in SOFC

Abstract

In the context of solid oxide fuel cells, degradation can be defined as the departure of any functional SOFC structure from its designed state. Degradation may occur in any active atomic scale structure, grain, phase, interface, component, cell, stack, or system and may occur at the instant of start-up and proceed continuously through tens of thousands of hours of operation. From a fundamental point of view, the degradation of material structure impacts function and performance and can occur as surface phenomena or within the bulk of the material. A global framework of degradation 1) supports the commercialization of SOFC technology; and 2) facilitates commercial adoption of technical innovations developed through fundamental research. A well conceived framework identifies common domains of inquiry in space and time, and supports alignment of fundamental investigations and industrial priorities. In this paper, a global framework for examination of SOFC degradation is proposed. The selection of domains identified within the framework are justified with reference to underlying physical processes of degradation, and to known primary modes of degradation reported in literature. The generalized framework is populated with specific examples, and applied to a series of operating states to demonstrate analytical utility.