Investigation of the electrode kinetics in a solid oxide fuel cell and an oxygen sensor

This dissertation investigates the electrode kinetics in a solid oxide fuel cell and an oxygen sensor. The first chapter describes the basics of fuel cell and motivation behind the studies.; The second chapter investigates the dependence of cathodic charge transfer reaction resistance (Rct), on three-phase boundary length (lTPB) at various temperatures and oxygen partial pressures ( pO2 ). Impedance spectra were obtained using three-electrode configuration on discs having cathodes with definite lTPB to investigate the La0.8Sr0.2MnO3 (LSM)-Y 0.16Zr0.84O2 (YSZ), platinum (Pt)-YSZ and La 0.8Sr0.2CoO3 (LSC)-Ce0.8Sm0.2 O2 (SDC) half cell reactions at temperatures between 650--800°C and pO2 between 10-3 to 1 atm. For LSM-YSZ and Pt-YSZ, 1/Rct varies linearly with lTPB. LSC-SDC system did not show any specific dependence between R ct and lTPB.; The third chapter examines the use of an electrolyte supported cell with externally applied voltage to determine the single electrode overpotential and extending the parameters derived to that of an anode supported fuel cell having thin film electrolyte operating under a chemical potential gradient. Spatial distributions of the electrochemical potential of electrons (ϕ) and oxygen ions ( m&d5;O-2 ), and chemical potential of oxygen ( mO2 ) for these two cases were obtained. Under fuel cell operating conditions, ϕ, m&d5;O-2 and mO2 , decreases monotonically from higher value to lower value. For electrolyte supported cell under externally applied voltage mO2 does not vary monotonically; it reaches values above or below that of the boundary values, leading to development of internal electromotive forces (EMFs), which can in turn affect the activity of the interface.; The fourth chapter describes design microfabrication and characterization of a series connected potentiometric oxygen sensor. A drawback of potentiometric sensors in general is that the output signal is low when the ratio of the partial pressures at the two electrodes is low. Microfabrication of the sensor allows miniaturization of the cell, and hence many of them can be fabricated and connected in series to enhance the signal. Series connected miniaturized sensors were microfabricated on a silicon wafer. The fabricated sensors were functional at temperature as low as 300°C. The voltage of the device increased linearly with the number of sensors connected together.