Gas transport in porous electrodes of solid oxide fuel cells: A review on diffusion and diffusivity measurement

A reduction in Ohmic, activation and concentration-polarization losses is of paramount importance in improving the efficiency of solid oxide fuel cells, proton-exchange-membrane fuel cells, and molten-carbonate fuel cells. Efficient measurements of gas diffusivities at the operating conditions of fuel cells allow concentration polarization losses of these fuel cells to be reliably evaluated. To enhance the applicability of solid oxide fuel cells, tremendous work on the development of gas diffusion models and gas diffusivity measurement techniques have been done to pre-evaluate the concentration polarization losses of fuel cells. This review focuses on the recent advancement of gas diffusion models and diffusivity measurement techniques of solid oxide fuel cells. The review seeks to provide an insightful guidance for designing high-performance solid oxide fuel cell electrodes with efficient thickness, porosity, among other parameters. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.