Thermo Physical Properties of Materials for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are energy conversion devices that convert chemical energy to electrical energy with high efficiency and have the added advantage of least production of pollutants during their operation. SOFCs comprise of a number of components such as the anode, the electrolyte, the cathode and the interconnect. Each of these components is made of a different material with different thermophysical and electrical properties. Thermal expansion coefficient is one of the most important properties of these compounds. Various components should have matching thermal expansion behaviour to avoid cracking during thermal cycling and for long term operation of SOFCs. In this article, the thermophysical properties of materials for solid oxide fuel cells will be discussed with special emphasize on their thermal expansion behaviour.