Development of an In Situ Surface Deformation and Temperature Measurement Technique for a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Button Cell

Volume 7 Issue 1, Pages 55 – 62

Huang Guo, Gulfam Iqbal, Bruce S. Kang
Published Online: Jul 29 2009
3:56PM

DOI: 10.1111/j.1744-7402.2009.02414.x

ABSTRACT
A novel experimental technique is developed to measure the in situ surface deformation and temperature of a solid
oxide fuel cell (SOFC) anode surface along with the cell electrochemical
performance. The experimental setup consists of a NexTech Probostat^™
SOFC button cell test apparatus integrated with a Sagnac
interferometric optical method and an infrared sensor for in situ surface deformation and temperature
measurements, respectively. The button cell is fed with hydrogen or
simulated coal syngas under SOFC operating conditions. The surface
deformation is measured over time to estimate the anode structural
degradation. The cell surface transient temperature is also monitored
with different applied current densities under hydrogen and simulated
coal syngas. The experimental results are useful to validate and develop
SOFC structural durability and electrochemical models.

Online Access to Journal of Applied Ceramic Technology