X-ray 3D Metrology System for SOFC Development

We propose to develop an x-ray imaging system to directly visualize and measure the 3D morphology of the nano-porous electrochemical interaction area of a solid oxide fuel cell. Extensive research efforts are required to increase the efficiency and reliability of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells. The proposed system introduces many important new non-destructive in-situ imaging capabilities for measuring structural parameters of an SOFC that directly predict its performance, observing its dynamic structural changes during operation, and studying its aging and contamination mechanism. These direct and relevant information provided by this system will greatly improve the efficiency of SOFC R&D activities, leading to significantly reduced development time and increased reliability. We have demonstrated the basic concept and potential of the proposed system in a preliminary experiment. During the Phase I project, we will demonstrate the ability to prepare a SOFC sample for the imaging operation while maintaining its active area and furthermore, the ability to study the 3D morphology of this sample with sufficient throughput for observing its dynamic changes during normal operation as well as accelerated aging testing.