Study of Internal and External Leaks in Tests of Anode-Supported SOFCs

• Published in: Fuel cells (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany) Vol. 8; no. 6; pp. 385 - 393
• Main Authors: Rasmussen, J. F. B., Hendriksen, P. V., Hagen, A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim WILEY-VCH Verlag 01.12.2008; WILEY‐VCH Verlag
• Subjects: Efficiency; Experimental Results; Permeability; SOFC; Solid Oxide Fuel Cell
• ISSN: 1615-6846; 1615-6854
• DOI: 10.1002/fuce.200800019

A planar anode‐supported solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) has been tested to investigate gas tightness of the electrolyte and the applied seals. Gas leaks reduce the efficiency of the SOFC and it is thus important to determine and minimise them. Probe gases (He and Ar) and a Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer were used to detect both internal (through electrolyte) and external (through seals) gas leaks. The internal gas leak through the electrolyte was quantified under different conditions, as was the external leak from the surroundings to the anode. The internal gas leak did not depend on the pressure difference between the anode and the cathode gas compartment, and can thus be described as diffusion driven. External leaks between the surroundings and the anode, but not the cathode gas compartment was observed. They were influenced by the pressure difference and are thus driven by both concentration and pressure gradients. The measured gas leaks deduced from the probe gas experiments and the total leak calculated from the deviation between the Emf defined by the gases and the cell OCV (which contains all gas leaks as well as effects of electronic leaks) were compared. Good agreement between the two measures was observed.