The project addressed the extension of the lifetime of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) stacks to several 10 000 hours, not only under steady state operation, but also under cycling (thermal and redox) conditions and with a variety of fuel impurities and compositions (sulphur and cokeing tolerance). The main objective of this project was to solve the generic problems of ageing with planar SOFC. This included gaining understanding of degradation processes, finding solutions to reduce ageing and producing improved materials that would then be included in components and tested in stacks. Furthermore, the design of cost effective materials, low cost components and optimised manufacturing processes had to be taken into consideration. In close co-operation between industry and research institutions, the following steps had to be accomplished:
- improved understanding of ageing in planar SOFC stacks considering all modes of operation, including long-term testing over 10 000 hrs., thermal cycling up to 100 cycles, and the influences of fuel composition;
- adaptation of materials and protective coatings in order to reduce ageing to well below 0,5 %/1000 hrs, as for instance necessary for stationary SOFC applications;
- manufacturing of improved components under commercial conditions and subsequent characterization in long-term and cycling tests.