Performance of a one-chamber solid oxide fuel cell with a surface-modified zirconia electrolyte

In order to improve the performance of a cathode in a new solid oxide fuel cell (one chamber with methane-air mixture), a surface-modified yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) with praseodymium oxide was tested as a solid electrolyte of this cell. The cell gave a stable open-circuit voltage of about 700 mV at 1223 K, and the maximum electric power density was about 60 times higher than that using ''bare'' YSZ. The difference in cell performance between bare YSZ and surface-modified YSZ is discussed in relation to the transient cathode potential at open circuit and the cathodic polarization during discharge.