Abstract Scope |
Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) were traditionally considered suitable only for stationary applications owing to their high operating temperatures and large thermal mass. However, with the successful reduction of SOFC operating temperatures to as low as 500 °C and development of innovative cell and stack designs, recently there has been a growing interest in SOFCs for portable and transport applications, including cars and unattended aerial vehicles (UAVs). For a widespread adoption of SOFC technology in such applications, further reductions in the weight and volume of SOFC stacks and improvement in their lifetime and reliability are imperative. This presentation will provide an overview of various efforts made in this direction with an emphasis on fabrication strategies for tubular SOFCs. Process optimization and cost-effective approaches for large-scale manufacturing will be considered. We will also discuss the material choices and structural designs for high power density, thermal cycling, and durability of SOFC systems. |