Electrochemical MEA characterization

Membrane-electrode-assembly (MEA) is a main component of SOFC and defines the limits for power density, efficiency and durability available for exploitation in stacks and systems. Thus, MEA performance is a measure for possibilities of fuel cell technology. In this work the novel approach for calculation of cell performance measure based on the separation of voltage drop during the cell performance in two parts: (i) voltage drop due to change of Nernst voltage as a result of fuel utilization and (ii) voltage drop due to ohmic and polarization losses in the cell, is applied. This approach allows to eliminate the influence of non-linearity of Nernst voltage dependence on calculated cell resistance. Sorrow analysis of measured experimental data show that area specific resistance corrected for fuel conversion can be obtained from isothermal stationary operating conditions with highest accuracy and used as universal characteristic of cell performance.