In this study, electrolyte-supported solid oxide cells, fabricated using 3D printing and combined with ultrathin flat metallic interconnects, were successfully operated in both fuel cell (SOFC) and electrolysis (SOEC) modes. The three-cell substack yielded a maximum power of 27 W (200 mW/cm2) and a maximum injected current of -20 A at 4.2 V (-450 mA/cm2), respectively. These cells exhibited less than 5% degradation after more than 500 hours of operation. Meanwhile, complete stacks (18 cells) were able to reach -13 A at 25 V, equivalent to 330 W of power in SOEC mode. In conclusion, this work demonstrates the feasibility of scaling up the production of Solid Oxide Cells (SOCs) through 3D printing. The innovative stack designs achieved in this study offer significant enhancements, with volumetric and gravimetric power densities three and four times higher, respectively, than those of their planar counterparts using the same materials.
Read more here
