A Novel Three Electrode Design for Electrochemical Investigations of an Intermediate Temperature SOFC

A novel 3-electrode intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cell (IT-SOFC) design is reported. Ni/CGO:CGO:LSCF/CGO 3-electrode pellet cells were investigated at 600 degrees C with a ring-disc cathode operating in air. Polarisation curves and AC impedance spectra at high and low suction rates of air and at high current densities are shown to demonstrate the effective operation of the reference electrode; comparison is made with operation in 2-electrode mode where the counter and reference are shorted. It has been shown that incorrect placement of the reference electrode can lead to significant errors in the measurement of the working electrode, but that these can be compensated for using impedance spectroscopy.