Solid-oxide fuel cells

Abstract Fuel cells convert chemical energy directly into electricity with high efficiency. Solid-oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) have the highest performance and durability. Traditional SOFCs operate at temperatures above 600 °C, and lowering the temperature to 400–500 °C is the key to new applications, for example, miniaturized systems with fast start/stop cycling and self-sustaining operation. A low-temperature SOFC is possible to achieve by tailoring the various cell components with thin-film technology. This chapter shows advantages and limitations in the use of thin films for SOFCs, in light of recent progress in the field.