Effect of Component Thickness and Anode Composition on the Residual Stress of Micro-Tubular Solid Oxide Fuel Cell

The residual stress of micro-tubular solid oxide fuel cell (MT-SOFC) was investigated by a twodimensional axisymmetric model. The mechanical stability of anode, electrolyte and cathode was evaluated with the consideration of Ni volume fraction and layer thickness. The results reveal that the high Ni volume fraction in anode is detrimental to the mechanical stability of MT-SOFC: when the Ni volume fraction is more than 50% in solid, it will be hard to keep the integrity of every cell layer within a reasonable thickness range. In order to facilitate the cell design, a minimum anode thickness formula for safe and durable operation was proposed as a function of the Ni volume fraction, electrolyte thickness and cathode thickness. This work simultaneously considered both the Ni volume fraction and layer thickness, which provided a more realistic estimation about MT-SOFC mechanical stability.