Numerical modeling of ceria-based SOFCs with bi-layer electrolyte free from internal short circuit: Comparison of two cell configurations

Abstract A numerical model for ceria-based solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) with bi-layer electrolyte is proposed to evaluate the internal short circuit by the comparison of two cell configurations: the electronic barrier electrolyte adjacent to cathode and anode, respectively. In this model, the activation polarization of the electrode reaction and the charge transport of the electrolyte with both n/p-type electronic and oxygen ion conductivity are considered. The activation polarization and the charge transport are described by the Butler-Volmer equation and the Nernst-Planck equation, respectively. Parametric simulations are performed to compare the two bi-layer electrolyte configurations in terms of the open circuit voltage, I–V relationship, leakage current density, power density at 0.7 V, oxygen partial pressure distribution and electrochemical efficiency as functions of the temperature and thickness ratio of the electronic barrier electrolyte. From our modeling results, the cell configuration of which the barrier electrolyte is adjacent to cathode has significant p-type leakage current, leading to the lower open circuit voltages and electrochemical efficiency than the other one. The oxygen partial pressure distribution under the open circuit displays the “S” type in the barrier layer, which is related to the change of the n/p-type conductivity of the barrier layer. Besides, the activation polarization greatly influences the open circuit voltage and the oxygen partial pressure distribution between boundaries of electrolytes under open circuit. It is also found that the thickness ratio of the electronic barrier electrolyte can be optimized to maximize the electrochemical performance by balancing the open circuit voltage and ohmic polarization loss.

[1]  M. Inaba,et al.  Electrochemical properties of ceria-based oxides for use in intermediate-temperature SOFCs , 2005 .

[2]  Shumin Fang,et al.  A novel electronic current-blocked stable mixed ionic conductor for solid oxide fuel cells , 2011 .

[3]  Xing-qin Liu,et al.  Comparative study of electrochemical properties of different composite cathode materials associated to stable proton conducting BaZr0.7Pr0.1Y0.2O3-δ electrolyte , 2014 .

[4]  Meilin Liu,et al.  An Efficient SOFC Based on Samaria-Doped Ceria (SDC) Electrolyte , 2012 .

[5]  F. Chen,et al.  BaZr0.1Ce0.7Y0.2O3 − δ as an electronic blocking material for microtubular solid oxide fuel cells based on doped ceria electrolyte , 2011 .

[6]  A. Gupta,et al.  Gadolinia-doped ceria and yttria stabilized zirconia interfaces: regarding their application for SOFC technology ☆ , 2000 .

[7]  Wei Liu,et al.  Bilayered BaZr0.1Ce0.7Y0.2O3-δ/Ce0.8Sm0.2O2-δ electrolyte membranes for solid oxide fuel cells with high open circuit voltages , 2015 .

[8]  H. Iwahara,et al.  Protonic conduction in Zr-substituted BaCeO3 , 2000 .

[9]  K. Amezawa,et al.  Bismuth and indium co-doping strategy for developing stable and efficient barium zirconate-based proton conductors for high-performance H-SOFCs , 2016 .

[10]  Vinod M. Janardhanan,et al.  Non-commercial Research and Educational Use including without Limitation Use in Instruction at Your Institution, Sending It to Specific Colleagues That You Know, and Providing a Copy to Your Institution's Administrator. All Other Uses, Reproduction and Distribution, including without Limitation Comm , 2022 .

[11]  X. Ou,et al.  Antimony doped barium strontium ferrite perovskites as novel cathodes for intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells , 2016 .

[12]  D. Cui,et al.  Comparison of different current collecting modes of anode supported micro-tubular SOFC through mathematical modeling , 2007 .

[13]  S. Jiang,et al.  Carbon-tolerant Ni-based cermet anodes modified by proton conducting yttrium- and ytterbium-doped barium cerates for direct methane solid oxide fuel cells , 2015 .

[14]  Uday B. Pal,et al.  Analytic Solution for Charge Transport and Chemical‐Potential Variation in Single‐Layer and Multilayer Devices of Different Mixed‐Conducting Oxides , 1996 .

[15]  Zhe Cheng,et al.  Enhanced Sulfur and Coking Tolerance of a Mixed Ion Conductor for SOFCs: BaZr0.1Ce0.7Y0.2–xYbxO3–δ , 2009, Science.

[16]  Anil V. Virkar,et al.  Theoretical Analysis of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells with Two‐Layer, Composite Electrolytes: Electrolyte Stability , 1991 .

[17]  Hongtan Liu,et al.  An analytical model for solid oxide fuel cells with bi-layer electrolyte , 2013 .

[18]  Y. Ling,et al.  Effect of Co doping on sinterability and protonic conductivity of BaZr 0.1 Ce 0.7 Y 0.1 Yb 0.1 O 3−δ for protonic ceramic fuel cells , 2017 .

[19]  A. Manthiram,et al.  High power density thin film SOFCs with YSZ/GDC bilayer electrolyte , 2011 .

[20]  R. Maric,et al.  Internal shorting and fuel loss of a low temperature solid oxide fuel cell with SDC electrolyte , 2007 .

[21]  Blocking of Electronic Current through a Ce0.9Gd0.1O1.95 Electrolyte Film by Growth of a Thin BaCe1 − x Gd x O3 − α Layer , 2008 .

[22]  E. Wachsman,et al.  Mixed Protonic/Electronic Conductor Cathodes for Intermediate Temperature SOFCs Based on Proton Conducting Electrolytes , 2009 .

[23]  S. Haile,et al.  Chemical stability and proton conductivity of doped BaCeO3–BaZrO3 solid solutions , 1999 .

[24]  F. Marques,et al.  Performance of double layer electrolyte cells Part II: GCO/YSZ, a case study , 1997 .

[25]  S. Hyun,et al.  Fabrication and characterization of a YSZ/YDC composite electrolyte by a sol–gel coating method , 2002 .

[26]  M. Sano,et al.  Improvement of a reduction-resistant Ce 0.8Sm 0.2O 1.9 electrolyte by optimizing a thin BaCe 1−xSm xO 3− α layer for intermediate-temperature SOFCs , 2005 .

[27]  Harvey G. Stenger,et al.  Computational fluid dynamics modeling of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells , 2005 .

[28]  J. I. Gazzarri,et al.  Non-destructive delamination detection in solid oxide fuel cells , 2007 .

[29]  M. Ni,et al.  2D segment model for a solid oxide fuel cell with a mixed ionic and electronic conductor as electrolyte , 2015 .

[30]  Meilin Liu,et al.  Transport properties of BaCe0.95Y0.05O3−α mixed conductors for hydrogen separation , 1997 .

[31]  S. Chan,et al.  Anode-supported solid oxide fuel cell with yttria-stabilized zirconia/gadolinia-doped ceria bilalyer electrolyte prepared by wet ceramic co-sintering process , 2006 .

[32]  Masahiro Nagao,et al.  Design of a Reduction-Resistant Ce0.8Sm0.2 O 1.9 Electrolyte Through Growth of a Thin BaCe1−xSmxO3−α Layer over Electrolyte Surface , 2004 .

[33]  M. Inaba,et al.  Effects of mixed conduction on the open-circuit voltage of intermediate-temperature SOFCs based on Sm-doped ceria electrolytes , 2005 .

[34]  Isaac M. Markus,et al.  Tailoring mixed proton-electronic conductivity of BaZrO3 by Y and Pr co-doping for cathode application in protonic SOFCs , 2011 .

[35]  Zhenbin Wang,et al.  New ionic diffusion strategy to fabricate proton-conducting solid oxide fuel cells based on a stable La2Ce2O7 electrolyte , 2013 .

[36]  Takanori Inoue,et al.  Electrical properties of ceria-based oxides and their application to solid oxide fuel cells , 1992 .

[37]  S. Chan,et al.  A simple bilayer electrolyte model for solid oxide fuel cells , 2003 .

[38]  M. Sano,et al.  Comparative Performance of Anode-Supported SOFCs Using a Thin Ce0.9Gd0.1O1.95 Electrolyte with an Incorporated BaCe0.8Y0.2O3 − α Layer in Hydrogen and Methane , 2006 .

[39]  Stefano Ubertini,et al.  Experimental and numerical analysis of a radial flow solid oxide fuel cell , 2007 .

[40]  Hongtan Liu,et al.  Theoretical analysis of the characteristics of the solid oxide fuel cells with a bi-layer electrolyte , 2013 .

[41]  E. Wachsman,et al.  Lowering the Temperature of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells , 2011, Science.

[42]  Junhang Dong,et al.  Formation of YSZ–SDC Solid Solution in a Nanocrystalline Heterophase System and Its Effect on the Electrical Conductivity , 2005 .