Differential analysis of SOFC current-voltage characteristics

• Published in: Applied energy 2018-10, Vol.228, p.1584-1590
• Main Authors: Stoynov, Zdravko, Vladikova, Daria, Burdin, Blagoy, Laurencin, Jerome, Montinaro, Dario, Raikova, Gergana, Schiller, Günter, Szabo, Patric
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Current-voltage characteristics; Degradation rate; Differential resistance analysis; Durability
• ISSN: 0306-2619; 1872-9118
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2018.06.138

•A novel method for improved monitoring and evaluation of degradation is described.•It analyses the differential resistance/current dependence got from the i-V curves.•2 new performance indicators are tested 9 kh on cell and on stack at thermal cycling.•More than 3 times higher sensitivity towards degradation monitoring is registered. Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) are regarded as a promising technology for economic power generation due to their high efficiency and large fuel flexibility. Durability is a severe hurdle towards their deployment. The near future targets in respect to Degradation Rate (DR) are about 0.1% kh−1, which needs improved monitoring and diagnostics. This work aims at introducing a new approach based on Differential Analysis of the i-V curves, named DiVA. It operates with the Differential Resistance Rd and its evolution during long term testing. Two new performance indicators are introduced. Since derivatives are more sensitive to small deviations, the Differential Resistance Analysis (DRA) ensures increased sensitivity and information capability in respect to degradation monitoring and diagnostics, which is demonstrated on a small stack during thermal cycling conditions – before and after the first thermal cycle, on button cells tested up to 9000 h, as well as on button cells operating in fuel cell and in electrolysis mode. The results show that DRA is several times more sensitive in comparison with the classical DR evaluation based on registration of the voltage decrease at constant current.