This activity focuses on the experimental investigation of degradation mechanisms in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC) operating with unconventional gas mixtures containing contaminants.
The work aims to identify and quantify the impact of both individual and combined contaminants on the electrochemical performance and durability of SOFC systems. The study considers gas streams derived from biomass gasification, anaerobic digestion (biogas), and hydrogen-natural gas blends representative of real operating conditions.
The research is structured in two main experimental phases. First, small-scale cells are tested under controlled conditions to isolate the effects of specific contaminants and determine tolerance thresholds. Advanced electrochemical techniques, such as impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and distribution of relaxation times (DRT), are used to analyse degradation mechanisms at a detailed level.
In the second phase, larger-scale cells are operated under realistic conditions to assess the combined effects of contaminants, operating parameters and system-level phenomena. Additional post-test characterisation (e.g. SEM-EDX, XRD, Raman) is used to investigate material degradation and contaminant interactions.
The activity ultimately provides quantitative insights into degradation processes, defines tolerance limits for key contaminants, and supports the development of more robust SOFC systems for applications based on biogas, syngas and hydrogen-enriched fuels.
