Non-conventional joining of a ceramic solid oxide fuel cell to a metallic interconnect

Abstract

Co-generation of energy (heat and electric power) with ceramic solid oxide fuel cells requires consolidation of anode-electrolyte- cathode single cells with a dense electrolyte and porous anode and cathode. The consolidation is usually achieved by sintering the three-layer single cells according to special procedures to produce flat square shape cells. Non-conventional consolidation of several ceramic materials used in energy-conversion devices has been done with success in several ceramic materials by electric field-assisted pressureless sintering, producing porous or dense components. The same approach has been tried in a flat single solid oxide fuel cell with yttria-stabilized zirconia solid electrolyte, lanthanum strontium manganite cathode and yttria-stabilized zirconia/nickel oxide anode with promising results, opening new routes for future low cost production of these devices. There is still a challenge in using that technique for joining ceramic single cells to metallic interconnector, one of the research areas of Dr. Mrityunjay Singh. Our efforts now are directed to carry out experiments aiming the joining of ceramic single cells to metallic interconnects by application of electric fields.