Diffusion and Gas Conversion Analysis of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells at Loads via AC Impedance

Impedance measurements were conducted under practical load conditions in solid oxide fuel cells of differing sizes. For a 2 cm2 button cell, impedance spectra data were separately measured for the anode, cathode, and total cell. Improved equivalent circuit models are proposed and applied to simulate...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Robert U. Payne, Ying Zhu, Wenhua H. Zhu, Mark S. Timper, S. Elangovan, Bruce J. Tatarchuk
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2011-01-01
Series:International Journal of Electrochemistry
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.4061/2011/465452
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850224474293534720
author Robert U. Payne
Ying Zhu
Wenhua H. Zhu
Mark S. Timper
S. Elangovan
Bruce J. Tatarchuk
author_facet Robert U. Payne
Ying Zhu
Wenhua H. Zhu
Mark S. Timper
S. Elangovan
Bruce J. Tatarchuk
author_sort Robert U. Payne
collection DOAJ
description Impedance measurements were conducted under practical load conditions in solid oxide fuel cells of differing sizes. For a 2 cm2 button cell, impedance spectra data were separately measured for the anode, cathode, and total cell. Improved equivalent circuit models are proposed and applied to simulate each of measured impedance data. Circuit elements related to the chemical and physical processes have been added to the total-cell model to account for an extra relaxation process in the spectra not measured at either electrode. The processes to which elements are attributed have been deduced by varying cell temperature, load current, and hydrogen concentration. Spectra data were also obtained for a planar stack of five 61 cm2 cells and the individual cells therein, which were fitted to a simplified equivalent circuit model of the total button cell. Similar to the button cell, the planar cells and stack exhibit a pronounced low-frequency relaxation process, which has been attributed to concentration losses, that is, the combined effects of diffusion and gas conversion. The simplified total-cell model approximates well the dynamic behavior of the SOFC cells and the whole stack.
format Article
id doaj-art-4e9ef42a12394f7a92d6bc2486d2daed
institution OA Journals
issn 2090-3537
language English
publishDate 2011-01-01
publisher Wiley
record_format Article
series International Journal of Electrochemistry
spelling doaj-art-4e9ef42a12394f7a92d6bc2486d2daed2025-08-20T02:05:36ZengWileyInternational Journal of Electrochemistry2090-35372011-01-01201110.4061/2011/465452465452Diffusion and Gas Conversion Analysis of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells at Loads via AC ImpedanceRobert U. Payne0Ying Zhu1Wenhua H. Zhu2Mark S. Timper3S. Elangovan4Bruce J. Tatarchuk5Center for Microfibrous Materials, Department of Chemical Engineering, 212 Ross Hall, Auburn University, AL 36849, USACenter for Microfibrous Materials, Department of Chemical Engineering, 212 Ross Hall, Auburn University, AL 36849, USACenter for Microfibrous Materials, Department of Chemical Engineering, 212 Ross Hall, Auburn University, AL 36849, USACeramatec, Inc., 2425 South 900 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84119, USACeramatec, Inc., 2425 South 900 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84119, USACenter for Microfibrous Materials, Department of Chemical Engineering, 212 Ross Hall, Auburn University, AL 36849, USAImpedance measurements were conducted under practical load conditions in solid oxide fuel cells of differing sizes. For a 2 cm2 button cell, impedance spectra data were separately measured for the anode, cathode, and total cell. Improved equivalent circuit models are proposed and applied to simulate each of measured impedance data. Circuit elements related to the chemical and physical processes have been added to the total-cell model to account for an extra relaxation process in the spectra not measured at either electrode. The processes to which elements are attributed have been deduced by varying cell temperature, load current, and hydrogen concentration. Spectra data were also obtained for a planar stack of five 61 cm2 cells and the individual cells therein, which were fitted to a simplified equivalent circuit model of the total button cell. Similar to the button cell, the planar cells and stack exhibit a pronounced low-frequency relaxation process, which has been attributed to concentration losses, that is, the combined effects of diffusion and gas conversion. The simplified total-cell model approximates well the dynamic behavior of the SOFC cells and the whole stack.http://dx.doi.org/10.4061/2011/465452
spellingShingle Robert U. Payne
Ying Zhu
Wenhua H. Zhu
Mark S. Timper
S. Elangovan
Bruce J. Tatarchuk
Diffusion and Gas Conversion Analysis of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells at Loads via AC Impedance
International Journal of Electrochemistry
title Diffusion and Gas Conversion Analysis of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells at Loads via AC Impedance
title_full Diffusion and Gas Conversion Analysis of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells at Loads via AC Impedance
title_fullStr Diffusion and Gas Conversion Analysis of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells at Loads via AC Impedance
title_full_unstemmed Diffusion and Gas Conversion Analysis of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells at Loads via AC Impedance
title_short Diffusion and Gas Conversion Analysis of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells at Loads via AC Impedance
title_sort diffusion and gas conversion analysis of solid oxide fuel cells at loads via ac impedance
url http://dx.doi.org/10.4061/2011/465452
work_keys_str_mv AT robertupayne diffusionandgasconversionanalysisofsolidoxidefuelcellsatloadsviaacimpedance
AT yingzhu diffusionandgasconversionanalysisofsolidoxidefuelcellsatloadsviaacimpedance
AT wenhuahzhu diffusionandgasconversionanalysisofsolidoxidefuelcellsatloadsviaacimpedance
AT markstimper diffusionandgasconversionanalysisofsolidoxidefuelcellsatloadsviaacimpedance
AT selangovan diffusionandgasconversionanalysisofsolidoxidefuelcellsatloadsviaacimpedance
AT brucejtatarchuk diffusionandgasconversionanalysisofsolidoxidefuelcellsatloadsviaacimpedance