The Ningbo Institute of Material Technology and Engineering (NIMTE), the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) recently made a breakthrough in Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) stack module technology under a joint financial support by Ministry of Science and Technology of China, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, provincial government of Zhejiang and Ningbo municiple government.　

The study was undertaken by a group of researchers from the Division of Fuel Cell and Energy Technology (FCET), NIMTE. The group has devoted to the development of SOFC stack for more than 3 years. They systematically investigated the effects of single cell, metallic interconnection and sealing material on the stack performance by assembling and testing over 300 stacks. During the study, the group tested the performance of a 30-unit standard SOFC stack module as shown in the left picture below using a self-designed structure. The results (see right figure below) show that the stack had an open circuit voltage (OCV) over 33V and a power output of 530W (H2, Air) at a voltage of 21V when testing at 850ºC. In the case of the average voltage of the unit cell remaining 0.7 V, the stack obtained a power density of 0.25 Wcm-2 and a fuel utilization rate of 65.3%, respectively; the volume power density and weight power density reached 726 W/liter and 145 W/kg, respectively. Testing results of Stack Module(Image by NIMTE)

On the base of the study, a large-scale manufacturing process for batch production of stack modules was established and the proprietary intellectual property rights were owned by NIMTE.  Up to now, the independently developed stack modules have been produced by NIMTE and sold globally.

Testing results of Stack Module(Image by NIMTE)

(Please see www.sofc.com.cn for details).

For further exchange and cooperation, please contact Prof. Wang Weiguo,  PI of the group.

Prof. Wang Weiguo

Tel 0086 574 87911363

Email wgwang@nimte.ac.cn