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West Virginia University (WVU) will team with Northwestern University and FuelCell Energy (FCE) to improve the stability and performance of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) cathodes through development of a scalable and cost-effective electrophoretic deposition (EPD) process. EPD will deposit dense barrier layers, with little or no porosity, between the electrolyte and cathode. Identification of optimal barrier layer composition and thickness will be researched including an investigation of the interaction between doped ceria barrier layers in SOFC cathodes and their effect on oxygen reduction reaction kinetics, electrochemical performance, and long-term stability. A preliminary techno-economic analysis of the EPD barrier layer compared to other coating methods will be performed.
The EDP process developed by the WVU-led team will produce a cost-effective scalable method to create a fully dense barrier layer for SOFC cathodes that can be easily incorporated into the manufacturing process. The team, by mitigating the degradation of commonly accepted SOFC cathode materials, will apply advanced manufacturing techniques to build an SOFC of greater stability, endurance, and performance. This will further promote widespread commercialization.
