Investigation on the Electrochemical Properties of the Ni-YSZ/Ni-ScSZ/ScSZ/LSM Tubular Solid Oxide Cell for High Temperature Steam Electrolysis

Cathode-supported tubular solid oxide cells were fabricated by dip-coating and co-sintering technology. The electrochemical properties of the tubular cell were investigated both in solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) and solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) modes. In SOFC mode, the maximum power density reached 420 mW cm-2 with H2 (105 mL min-1) and O2 (70 mL min-1) as working gases at 850 oC. In SOEC mode, I - V curves and EIS results suggested that steam ratio had a strong impact on the performance of the tubular cell, and the LSM-ScSZ anode polarization predominate the polarization of the whole tubular SOECs. The acceptable resistance values indicated that the fabricated SOECs can be used for high temperature steam electrolysis (HTSE) or electricity production.