Short Stack and Full System Test Using a Ceramic A‐Site Deficient Strontium Titanate Anode

A lanthanum and calcium co-doped A-site deficient strontium titanate (LSCTA-) was used as alternative anode material in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC) with an active area of 100 cm(2). Cell performance was tested in both short (5 cell) stack configuration, as well as a full HEXIS Galileo system (nominally 1kWAC). Impregnation with various electrocatalysts, such as nickel and ceria, yielded promising fuel cell performance at this scale. The system test initially produced 70% of the nominal output power and is to the authors' knowledge the first all-oxide SOFC test on this scale. The strontium titanate backbone provides sufficient electronic conductivity to ensure acceptable ohmic losses. Power densities up to 200mAcm(-2) could be obtained at 900 degrees C, which compares well with Ni-cermet based anodes. Degradation is however severe at 900 degrees C, due to impregnate coarsening, but operation at 850 degrees C minimizes this effect. Short stacks could be stably operated for 1,600 hours with an output power of 100mAcm(-2). Stacks are redox stable, but currently not sulphur tolerant.