A Study on Electrochemical Properties of Fuel-Electrode-Supported Reversible Solid Oxide Cells

Abstract

Reversible solid oxide cells (r-SOCs) enable both fuel cell power generation and steam-electrolysis hydrogen production by changing the direction of the current in the cells. They are attractive electrochemical devices because of their ability to regulate power supply derived from renewable energy sources. In this study, initial performance was evaluated, and an electrolyte-supported cell and fuel-electrode-supported cells were compared and evaluated with changing operating temperatures. The performances for fuel-electrode-supported cells with various combinations of fuel electrode and electrolyte materials were also evaluated. In addition, the Ni-YSZ/YSZ fuel-electrode-supported cell, which exhibited the highest current-voltage characteristics, was subjected to r-SOC cycling tests to evaluate the cycle durability.