Improvement of cathode-electrolyte interfaces of tubular solid oxide fuel cells by fabricating dense YSZ electrolyte membranes with indented surfaces

To improve cathode-electrolyte interfaces of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), dense YSZ electrolyte membranes with indented surfaces were fabricated on tubular NiO/YSZ anode supports by two comparable methods. Electrochemistry impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and current-voltage tests of the cells were carried out to characterize the cathode-electrolyte interfaces. Results showed that the electrode polarization resistances of the modified cells were reduced by 52% and 35% at 700 °C, and the maximum power densities of cells were remarkably increased, even by 146.6% and 117.8% at lower temperature (700 °C), respectively. The indented surfaces extended the active zone of cathode and enhanced interfacial adhesion, which led to the major improvement in the cell performance.