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Embossing in fuel cell fabrication

Barbara Dziurdzia (Department of Electronics, AGH University of Science and Technology, Cracow, Poland)
Zbigniew Magonski (Department of Electronics, AGH University of Science and Technology, Cracow, Poland)
Henryk Jankowski (Academic Centre for Materials and Nanotechnology, AGH University of Science and Technology, Cracow, Poland)

Microelectronics International

ISSN: 1356-5362

Article publication date: 3 August 2015

87

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present the embossing as a replication technique for structuring fuel channels in the anode-supported solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs).

Design/methodology/approach

The anode laminate, which was exposed to embossing, consisted of eight layers of isostatic pressed Ni-yttria-stabilized zirconia tapes (Ni-YSZ). Preheating the mould and soaking the laminate in the plasticizer was applied before structuring of the channels to soften the laminate. Compressing tests were carried out to investigate the embossing ability of the Ni-YSZ laminate and to find the optimal processing parameters. Embossing was carried out with a testing machine, and the samples were exposed to embossing forces in the range up 20 kN with a certain speed of compression and a dwell time.

Findings

The embossing parameters (force of compression, speed of compression and dwell time) suitable for proper fuel channels formation were established. Shapes, profiles and dimensions of the embossed channels were analysed and compared to the micromachined channels. The model of the SOFC with embossed fuel channels was completed, and its current-voltage characteristic was measured.

Originality/value

Experiments proved that embossing can be the alternative method for patterning fuel microchannels in SOFCs. Embossing simplifies the process of fuel channel formation and reduces the time of SOFC fabrication. It is necessary to improve the geometry and quality of the mould formation to make the fuel channels deeper and of better surface finish.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education – in the frame of the WIET AGH statutory activity. The authors would like to thank to our colleagues Grzegorz Cios, Kamil Gorecki and Mateusz Marzec from ACMIN-AGH for the fruitful cooperation.

Citation

Dziurdzia, B., Magonski, Z. and Jankowski, H. (2015), "Embossing in fuel cell fabrication", Microelectronics International, Vol. 32 No. 3, pp. 138-142. https://doi.org/10.1108/MI-01-2015-0007

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2015, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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