Investigation of solid oxide fuel cell sealing behavior under stack relevant conditions at Forschungszentrum Jülich

Hermetic sealing is a key requirement for the operation of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stacks in a system environment. The sealant material has to withstand stresses due to mechanical loading, mismatch in thermal expansion coefficient and thermal gradients that arise during operation. Based on leakage tests performed at Forschungszentrum Jülich it was obvious that stacks, having been operated successfully in a furnace, are not necessarily usable in a system, e.g. because of deviating pressure differences and temperature gradients. Thorough investigations including stack and stack dummy tests, and finite element modeling (FEM) were performed to get a comprehensive understanding of the various parameters, influencing the leak tightness of the sealing material. It was found that even small temperature differences especially in the area of gas and air manifolds can create excessively high tensile stresses. Based on initial FEM analyses, a better understanding of the problem has been obtained and a tool was developed that can assist in the design of more robust stacks. These investigations and modeling activities will be continued with a main focus on thermal cycling, which is the next step in the list of requirements.