Anode-supported planar SOFC with high performance and redox stability

Solid oxide fuel cells with full ceramic anodes have recently attracted increasing attention, because the conventional Ni/YSZ cermet anodes may fail during practical operation due to their weak mechanical stability in the case of re-oxidation of the nickel. However, until now the reported fuel cells based on ceramic anodes have been fabricated only as small pellet-sized cells and electrochemical performance has been barely satisfactory, making it difficult to evaluate these attempts with respect to commercial feasibility. Herein, we report single cells based on Y-substituted SrTiO3 anode substrates. These planar cells have outer dimensions of 50 x 50 mm(2), which has not been reached for a ceramic anode-supported cell before. They show power densities of 0.7-1.0W cm(-2) at 0.7 V and 800 degrees C, which are sufficient for technical applications. The cells survived 200 anode-gas changes between fuel and air (redox cycles), providing a new direction for the development and commercialisation of anode-supported solid oxide fuel cells. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.