A Study on Thermal Cycle Characteristics of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell

고체 산화물 연료전지의 열사이클 따른 성능 열화 특성 연구

SOFC system is often subject to thermal cycle condition during normal start/stop, shutdown, and emergence state. Under the thermal cycle condition of heating and cooling, the SOFC components expand or shrink, which produces thermal stress and thermal shock. The SOFC performance is degraded by the thermal factors. To protect SOFC system from the thermal degradation, the optimum thermal condition must be clarified. In this study, to examine the thermal cycle characteristics, we fabricated single cells of planar SOFC with an area of $5{\times}5cm$. The electrolyte and PEN were tested under thermal cycle conditions in the range of$ 2-8^{\circ}C/min$. After thermal cycle test. crack creation of the components were examined using ultraviolet apparatus. No crack in the electrolyte and PEN were observed. The single cell system with alumina frame were also tested under thermal cycle conditions of 2, 3, $4^{\circ}C/min$. The single cell was fractured at the thermal cycle of 3 and $4^{\circ}C/min$ and the optimum condition of the thermal cycle to be found below $2^{\circ}C/min$.