Electrochemical characterization of BSCF oxygen electrode for SOEC and SOFC

  • Dr Wenqiang Zhang, Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing,China, China
  • Bo Yu, Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing,China, China
  • Jing Chen, China
  • Professor Jingming Xu, Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing,China, China

    • The aim of the work described in this paper was to investigate the performance of Ba 0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3-δ (BSCF) as an oxygen electrode operated at both solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) and solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) modes. The electrochemical performances of BSCF-YSZ half cells were studied by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The single cell tests using a BSCF/YSZ /Ni-YSZ solid oxide cell with humidified hydrogen as the fuel and air as the oxidant gas exhibited different performances when operated at two models. ASR data of the single cell was 0.42Ω.cm2 under fuel cell mode, while the value increased to 1.42Ω.cm2when operated at electrolysis mode. This experimental result was compared with the EIS testing results and they were match fairly well with each other. Higher energy loss operated at SOEC mode may be attributed to the higher polarization loss at oxygen electrode and rapid performance degradation at hydrogen electrode.
    Keywords: Ba 0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3-δ , solid oxide electrolyzer cells, High Temperature Steam Electrolysis, oxygen electrode