Crack Growth in Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Materials: From Discrete to Continuum Damage Modeling

This paper addresses the damage and fracture issues of glass and ceramic materials used in solid oxide fuel cells. Analyses of an internal crack and of an interface crack between dissimilar materials were conducted using a modified boundary layer modeling approach. In this approach, fracture is allowed to occur in a small process window situated at an initial crack tip. Elastic displacement crack-tip fields are prescribed as remote boundary conditions. Crack propagation was first modeled discretely. Next, a continuum damage mechanics (CDM) model for brittle materials was developed to capture damage and crack growth in the process window. In particular, the damage model was applied to a glass-ceramic material that had been developed in-house for sealing purposes. Discrete and continuum damage solutions were then compared. Finally, the CDM model was used to determine the crack propagation direction as a function of a mode mixity measure.

[1]  J. Hutchinson,et al.  Kinking of A Crack Out of AN Interface , 1989 .

[2]  J. Hutchinson,et al.  The influence of plasticity on mixed mode interface toughness , 1993 .

[3]  Viggo Tvergaard,et al.  Analysis of creep crack growth by grain boundary cavitation , 1986 .

[4]  K. S. Weil,et al.  Selection and Evaluation of Heat-Resistant Alloys for SOFC Interconnect Applications , 2003 .

[5]  A. Selçuk,et al.  Strength and Toughness of Tape‐Cast Yttria‐Stabilized Zirconia , 2004 .

[6]  S. Goswami,et al.  On the assessment of cracks within the interface of thin layers on a substrate , 2004 .

[7]  Kerry D. Meinhardt,et al.  Chemical Compatibility of Barium-Calcium-Aluminosilicate-Based Sealing Glasses with the Ferritic Stainless Steel Interconnect in SOFCs , 2003 .

[8]  Kenneth M. Liechti,et al.  Biaxial Loading Experiments for Determining Interfacial Fracture Toughness , 1991 .

[9]  J. Hutchinson,et al.  The relation between crack growth resistance and fracture process parameters in elastic-plastic solids , 1992 .

[10]  M. Khaleel,et al.  A Mechanistic Approach to Matrix Cracking Coupled with Fiber–Matrix Debonding in Short-Fiber Composites , 2005 .

[11]  James R. Rice,et al.  Elastic Fracture Mechanics Concepts for Interfacial Cracks , 1988 .

[12]  Zhenguo Yang,et al.  Chemical stability of glass seal interfaces in intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells , 2004 .

[13]  M. Khaleel,et al.  A mechanistic approach to damage in short-fiber composites based on micromechanical and continuum damage mechanics descriptions , 2004 .

[14]  Patrick Onck,et al.  Crack-tip constraint effects on creep fracture , 2000 .

[15]  Bent F. Sørensen,et al.  Fracture energy and crack growth in surface treated Yttria stabilized Zirconia for SOFC applications , 2002 .

[16]  Dominique Leguillon,et al.  Strength or toughness? A criterion for crack onset at a notch , 2002 .

[17]  L. Singheiser,et al.  Determination of the interfacial fracture energies of cathodes and glass ceramic sealants in a planar solid-oxide fuel cell design , 2003 .

[18]  Patrick Onck,et al.  Growth of an initially sharp crack by grain boundary cavitation , 1998 .

[19]  B. Nguyen.  Three-Dimensional Modeling of Damage in Laminated Composites Containing a Central Hole , 1997 .

[20]  N. Minh.  Ceramic Fuel Cells , 1993 .

[21]  J. Renard,et al.  Influence of transverse cracking on ply behavior: Introduction of a characteristic damage variable , 1993 .

[22]  L. A. Chick,et al.  Rupture testing as a tool for developing planar solid oxide fuel cell seals , 2004 .