DEVELOPMENT AND CREATION OF RESEARCH CELLS FOR SOLID OXIDE FUEL CELLS

The article is devoted to the development and creation of research cells for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) designed to study their characteristics at various temperatures. The primary focus is on the use of high-temperature glass sealants that ensure the hermeticity of the structure. The paper describes the materials and methods for fabricating model fuel cells, including various combinations of electrolytes (YSZ, ScSZ, GDC) and electrodes (NiO, LSM). The design of the research cells incorporates electrochemical sensors, providing precise control over the composition of the gas mixture entering the active zone, with deviations not exceeding 0.5%. The results of current-voltage characteristics of the model SOFCs in the temperature range of 700–950 ℃ showed that an increase in temperature leads to a reduction in ohmic losses and improved kinetics of electrochemical reactions. The maximum power density is achieved at higher current densities with increasing temperature, which is attributed to enhanced material conductivity and improved electrode activity. At lower temperatures, limited cell efficiency is observed due to increased electrolyte resistance and reduced electrode activity. The developed research cells demonstrated high reliability and reproducibility of data, enabling their use in optimizing the material composition and structure of SOFCs. The obtained results confirm the potential of the proposed methodology for the development of highly efficient fuel cells.