Development of KW-class planar SOFC stacks operable under fast thermal cycles

We have been developing anode-supported planar SOFCs suitable for reduced temperature operation, employing low-cost manufacturing processes. The basic design which utilizes metallic foils for assembling a stack was shown viable for mitigating thermal stresses under fast thermal cycles. A surface modification of the metallic interconnectors successfully prevented the initial degradation of the stack performances. Further, a new stack design suitable for reducing the use of alloy was developed. The 20-cell stack with 13 cm × 13 cm cells, which will be a part of a kW-class stack being tested hereafter, was operated with little voltage deterioration and no destruction of cells was observed after thermal cycles at a heating rate of 200 K/h.