Solid Oxide Fuels Cells: Facts and Figures

Although fuel cells have been known for over 150 years, research on solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) based on an oxide ion conducting electrolyte only accelerated in the last 30 years. This chapter, after a brief history of SOFCs, reviews the materials for different cell components (electrolyte and the two electrodes) and cell stacks (seals and interconnects); novel materials and their structures have been investigated and developed to improve electrochemical performance. Different SOFC designs and their relative advantages and disadvantages are then discussed. Finally, various applications of SOFC power systems and the status of their demonstration and commercialization are reviewed.