Development and full system testing of novel co-impregnated La_0.20Sr_0.25Ca_0.45TiO₃ anodes for commercial combined heat and power units

Over the past decade, the University of St Andrews and HEXIS AG have engaged in a highly successful collaborative project aiming to develop and upscale La_0.20Sr_0.25Ca_0.45TiO₃ (LSCT_A-) anode “backbone” microstructures, impregnated with Ce_0.80Gd_0.20O_1.90 (CG20) and metallic electrocatalysts, providing direct benefits in terms of performance and stability over the current state-of-the-art (SoA) Ni-based cermet solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) anodes.

Here, we present a brief overview of previous work performed in this research project, including short-term, durability, and poison testing of small-scale (1 cm² area) SOFCs and upscaling to full-sized HEXIS SOFCs (100 cm² area) in short stacks. Subsequently, recent results from short stack testing of SOFCs containing LSCTA- anodes with a variety of metallic catalyst components (Fe, Mn, Ni, Pd, Pt, Rh, or Ru) will be presented, indicating that only SOFCs containing the Rh catalyst provide comparable degradation rates to the SoA Ni/cerium gadolinium oxide anode, as well as tolerance to harsh overload conditions (which is not exhibited by SoA anodes). Finally, results from full system testing (60 cells within a 1.5 kW electrical power output HEXIS Leonardo FC40A micro-combined heat and power unit), will be outlined, demonstrating the robust and durable nature of these novel oxide electrodes, in addition to their potential for commercialization.