5. Proton ceramic cells (PCFC)

5.1 General

Operating fuel cells at high temperatures (800-1,000°C) leads to aging phenomena through corrosion, interdiffusion and reaction between components, and requires complex, costly systems. To limit these problems, the trend is to reduce the operating temperature of SOFCs (LT-SOFC). Lowering the operating temperature of SOFCs reduces system cost, widens the choice of materials for interconnectors and gaskets, but leads to a significant drop in performance. In this context, Protonic Ceramic Fuel Cells (PCFCs), which operate in the 400-600°C temperature range, offer a promising alternative. These devices, based on a ceramic electrolyte, operate according to the same electrochemical reactions at the electrodes as PEMFCs: