Infrared thermography applied to solid oxide fuel cells at operating temperatures

Mechanical failure, or cathode delamination, induces performance degradation in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). Thermal imaging may provide a powerful tool for monitoring SOFC electrode processes, but, due to the typical design of pellet-type cells, a direct optical access to the electrode surface is usually prevented. In this paper, a specially designed SOFC is introduced, that allows temperature distribution to be measured while still preserving electrochemical performance. A case study is also presented, highlighting the effectiveness of infrared thermal imaging in detecting the onset of cell failure during normal operation.