LAUSR

The possibility of fabricating large-area solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) with thin film electrolyte using a commercial physical vapor deposition technology is investigated. Yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ)/gadolinium-doped ceria (GDC) bilayer electrolyte is successfully deposited on a 10 × 5 cm2 commercial NiO/YSZ anode support by reactive magnetron sputtering. The microstructure of the fuel cells was studied by scanning electron microscopy. Current-voltage characteristics of fuel cells at a temperature of 750°C and their power stability under electrical load were investigated. Single cells with La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3/ Gd0.1Ce0.9O1.95 (LSCF/GDC) cathode had an open cell voltage of 1.14 V and a maximum power density of 490 mW cm−2 at 750 °C using H2/N2 gas mixture as fuel and air as the oxidant. Three-cell planar SOFC stack using 10 × 5 cm2 anode-supported unit cells with power density of 450 mW cm−2 at a voltage of 0.7 V per cell has been assembled and tested.