Degradation Studies of Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells

Hydrogen produced by solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOEC) from steam represents one of the currently available economical means of mass-producing hydrogen, which requires the least purification process comparing to steam methane reformation and coal gasification. SOEC modules with long life and minimal degradation will be critical to reducing the cost of hydrogen (CoH), including but not limited to capital costs and operating costs. A key factor in developing robust SOEC technology is to understand degradation mechanisms and to implement viable mitigation strategies.

Collaborating with Idaho National Laboratory, Materials and Systems Research Inc. has been investigating possible chemical and structural degradation mechanisms in SOECs. Cell materials with a range of compositions have been developed to improve long-term performance of hydrogen production. Negative electrode-supported SOEC cells and short stacks have been fabricated and evaluated under various operating conditions. In this talk, performance in both a cell and stack levels will be presented and discussed.