Performance and Durability of Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells

Solid oxide fuel cells produced at Ris National Laboratory have been tested as electrolysis cells by applying an external voltage. Results on initial performance and durability of such reversible solid oxide cells at temperatures from 750 to 950C and current densities from -0.25 A/cm 2 to -0.50 A/cm 2 are reported. The full cells have an initial area specific resistance as low as 0.27 cm 2 for electrolysis operation at 850C. During galvanostatic long-term electrolysis tests, the cells were observed to passivate mainly during the first 100 h of electrolysis. Cells that have been passivated during electrolysis tests can be partly activated again by operation in fuel cell mode or even at constant electrolysis conditions after several hundred hours of testing.