Durability Prediction of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Anode Material under Thermomechanical and Fuel Gas Contaminant Effects

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) operate under harsh environments, which cause the deterioration of anode material properties and service life. In addition to electrochemical performance, the structural integrity of the SOFC anode is essential for successful long-term operation. The SOFC anode is subjected to stresses at high temperature, thermal/redox cycles, and fuel gas contaminant effects during long-term operation. These mechanisms can alter the anode microstructure and affect its electrochemical and structural properties. In this research, anode material degradation mechanisms are briefly reviewed and an anode material durability model is developed and implemented in finite-element analysis. The model takes into account thermomechanical and fuel gas contaminant degradation mechanisms for predicting the long-term structural integrity of the SOFC anode. The proposed model is validated experimentally using a NexTech Probostat (TM) SOFC button cell test apparatus integrated with a Sagnac optical setup for simultaneously measuring electrochemical performance and in situ anode surface deformation.