SOFCo Planar Solid Oxide Fuel Cell

SOFCo‐EFS Holdings LLC has developed a multi‐layer, planar solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stack that has the potential to provide superior performance and reliability at reduced costs. Our approach combines state‐of‐the‐art SOFC materials with the manufacturing technology and infrastructure established for multi‐layer ceramic (MLC) packages for the microelectronics industry. With the proper selection of SOFC materials, implementation of MLC fabrication methods offers unique designs for stacks. Over the past two years, substantial progress has been made in the design and manufacturing development of our second‐generation stack. Effective stack and manifold seals have been developed. Cell performance has been improved and relatively low non‐cell contributions to stack resistance have been achieved. Stack development has been facilitated through the implementation of two key test methods: (1) a 10‐cm single‐cell test to bridge the gap in performance data obtained from button cell tests (used for cell R&D) and stack tests; and (2) a novel instrumented short stack (<5 cells) that allows for effective isolation of individual contributions to stack resistance. As a result of progress made to date, a clear pathway for improving stack performance has been established, thereby building confidence that commercial stack performance targets will be reached.