PERFORMANCE OF A SOLID OXIDE FUEL-CELL FABRICATED BY CO-FIRING

A solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) was fabricated by co-firing laminated s heets of air-electrode, electrolyte, and fuel-electrode and the influe nce of the physical characteristics of the air-electrode on the cell p erformance was studied. Tailoring the sintering shrinkage of green she ets to one another was found to be an important factor in fabricating a flat and fracture-free three-layer cell. Controlling the binder cont ent in the fuel-electrode green sheet and calcination of La0.7Sr0.3MnO 3 (LSM) powder were effective for tailoring the sintering shrinkage of green sheets. The performance of the co-fired three-layer cell was gr eatly influenced by the porosity of the air-electrode, and the maximum power density was attained at 70% of relative density, which is deter mined by the gas permeability and conductivity of air-electrode. (C) 1 998 Elsevier Science S.A.