GOALI: Electrode Interface Stresses, Degradation, and Failure

为了使固体氧化物燃料电池(SOFC)对电力的生产和分配产生重大影响，必须克服商业化的关键障碍。电极-电解液界面的耐久性和可靠性一直被认为是SOFC的薄弱环节。因此，该奖项的研究目标包括：a)确定电极界面退化和失效的基本应力、材料和环境原因，以及b)开发适用于优化暴露在热瞬变中的电极界面的高保真有限元模型。这项工作将包括一系列实验，以确定材料的性质和阐明失效机制。实验结果还将用于开发和验证为优化电极界面而设计的数值模型。俄亥俄州立大学(OSU)的研究团队将与NeXTech材料有限公司(NTM)的科学家和工程师密切合作。通过受控实验和可用于生产的材料和设备的现实模型，大学-行业团队的目标是提供对电极接口故障问题的新的科学理解，并最终提供更可行的商业SOFC产品。来自OSU和NTM的小组成员和亲密伙伴将受益于使用各自对应机构的设施和知识。该团队还将共同努力，向哥伦布地区的初中生传播有关能源生产和使用的一般信息。这一努力将以访问教室、适合年龄的课程材料和作业以及燃料电池演示套件的形式提供对能源问题的更广泛了解。

In order for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) to have a significant impact on the production and distribution of electricity, key barriers to commercialization must be overcome. The durability and reliability of electrode-electrolyte interfaces has been identified as a weak point for SOFCs. Thus the research objectives of this award include the following: a) identification of fundamental stress-based, materials-based, and environment-based reasons for degradation and failure of electrode interfaces and b) development of high fidelity finite element models appropriate for optimizing electrode interfaces exposed to thermal transients. The work will include a range of experiments for determining materials properties and for elucidating failure mechanisms. The experimental results will also be used for developing and validating the numerical models designed to optimize electrode interfaces. The research team at The Ohio State University (OSU) will work closely with scientists and engineers at NexTech Materials, Ltd (NTM). Through controlled experiments and realistic models with production-ready materials and devices, the university-industry team aims to deliver both new scientific understanding of electrode interface failure issues and ultimately more viable commercial SOFC products. The team members and close associates from both OSU and NTM will benefit from having access to the facilities and knowledge of their respective counterparts. The Team will also work together to disseminate general information about energy production and use to middle and high school students in the Columbus area. This effort to provide broader understanding of energy issues will take the form of visits to classrooms, age-appropriate curriculum materials and assignments, and fuel cell demonstration kits.