Manufacturing of solid-oxide fuel cell (SOFC)interconnects through powder metallurgy approach and their performance evaluation

Fuel cells, among the alternative energy technologies, have several advantages including high efficiency, conversion of fuel energy into electricity without combustion. Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), when compared with other fuel cell types, have superior features such as operating at high temperatures (600-1000°C) and their efficiencies can be as high as 90% with co-generation. SOFCs consist of the membrane electrode assembly (MEA), the interconnector which collects the current and the sealant which prevents the leakages and short circuit. The interconnector, within the scope of this master thesis, has been fabricated by the powder metallurgy (P/M) method. Crofer®22 powder was found to be more appropriate as interconnector material among the other studied materials. Compressive strength, thermal shock, electrical conductivity, oxidation, bonding strength, fuel leakage and fuel cell performance of interconnect samples were measured and compared with the sample manufactured from commercially available Crofer®22 (in bulk form). Results showed that powder metallurgy can be an alternative production method for interconnects.