Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) are nowadays considered excellent alternative systems for power generation. Their exceptional benefits include high efficiency, ultra-low emissions and noise and net production of water. However, commercialization of these systems is still scarce, being installed worldwide 16,000 units [1] which accounts to 68 MW. In a study carried out by FCH-JU, three factors are identified as the main levers to activate fuel cells commercialization: CAPEX reduction, performance improvement and establish appropriate policy framework. Cell3Ditor copes with the first two points by proposing a revolutionary approach consisting on the use of 3D printing as manufacturing technique for SOFC stacks. In turn, preliminary cost analysis estimates a reduction of 72% of the capital cost compared with conventional technologies. Within Cell3Ditor a ceramic multi-material 3D printer will be develop by the implementation of 3D printing and another additive manufacturing technique (e.g. inkjet printing, robocasting…) which will increase the manufacturing capacity by removal of slow processes and automatization of processing steps. In particular, Cell3Ditor technology eliminates all the assembly steps of SOFC stack components by defining a single-step shaping process, eliminating more than 100 fabrication steps in traditional SOFC stack manufacturing and avoiding associated physical translations and manual assembly of the parts. A single-step sintering strategy is devised for this purpose. The combination of both shaping and sintering single-steps leads to an estimated manufacturing costs reduction of 59% compared to the currently employed technologies for an annual production of 1000 units of 5kW-stacks [2].
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