Simulation of Thermal Stresses in Anode-Supported Solide Oxide Fuel Cell Stacks

摘要

Structural stability issues in planar solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) arise from the mismatch between the coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE) of the components. The stress state at operating temperature is the superposition of several contributions, which differ depending on the component. First, the cells undergo residual stresses due to the sintering phase during the manufacturing process. Furthermore, the load applied during the assembly of the stack to ensure the electric contact and flatten the cells prevents a completely stress-free expansion of each component during the heat-up. In operation, finally, thermal gradients cause additional stresses.