High performance of anode supported BaZr0.1Ce0.7Y0.1Yb0.1O3-δ proton-conducting electrolyte micro-tubular cells with asymmetric structure for IT-SOFCs

Abstract A simple phase-inversion method is employed to achieve anode-supported micro-tubular solid oxide fuel cells based on BaZr 0.1 Ce 0.7 Y 0.1 Yb 0.1 O 3-δ proton conducting electrolyte. The whole-cell configuration is Ni-BaZr 0.1 Ce 0.7 Y 0.1 Yb 0.1 O 3-δ |BaZr 0.1 Ce 0.7 Y 0.1 Yb 0.1 O 3-δ | La 0.75 Sr 0.25 MnO 3-δ -Sm 0.2 Ce 0.8 O 2-δ . The novel asymmetric structure of “sponge-like micro-pores electrode | homogeneous porous functional layer” is obtained. The results achieved in the present work include: i) the electrodes reveal the single phase collected by the powder X-Ray Diffractometer analysis; ii) the single cell exhibits uniform distribution of micro sponge-like pores electrodes are well-adhered to the dense, crack-free 12 μm thick electrolyte layer observed by Scanning Electron Microscope; iii) the cells show excellent electrochemical performance with the maximum power densities of 1.01, 0.89, 0.75 and 0.58 W·cm −2 at 750, 700, 650 and 600 °C, respectively, characterized by Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy; iv) the cell design especially reveal very low concentration polarization values (0.014–0.019 Ω·cm 2 at 750–600 °C).