Advances in Solid Oxide Cells (SOCs): Performance and Reliability

A special issue of Processes (ISSN 2227-9717). This special issue belongs to the section "Energy Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 September 2025 | Viewed by 646

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Chile, Santiago 8370456, Chile
Interests: solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs); mechanical properties of materials, mixed ionic and electronic materials (MIECs)

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Guest Editor Assistant
Department of Materials Engineering, University of Concepción, Concepción 4070415, Chile
Interests: metal supported solid oxide cells (MS-SOCs); proton ceramic fuel cells (PCFCs); powder manufacturing process

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue aims to capture the recent advancements in Solid Oxide Cells (SOCs) with a specific focus on their performance and reliability. With the expanding interest in sustainable energy sources, SOCs have emerged as promising candidates for efficient energy conversion. This Special Issue presents an exclusive platform to explore the latest research and developments in SOCs, covering a broad scope of related topics.

The Special Issue seeks original research papers, review articles, and case studies that enhance our understanding and address challenges in the field of SOCs. Authors are encouraged to contribute their findings on various aspects, including innovative materials, fabrication techniques, performance optimization strategies, durability enhancements, and long-term reliability assessments.

Relevant topics for manuscript submission include, but are not limited to:

  1. Electrochemical processes and mechanisms within SOCs;
  2. Modeling and simulation of SOC performance and behavior;
  3. Experimental investigations on SOCs under different operating conditions;
  4. Advances in materials science for SOCs, including novel electrode, electrolyte, and interconnect materials;
  5. Manufacturing techniques and process optimization for SOCs;
  6. Characterization and testing methods for evaluating SOC performance and durability;
  7. Novel approaches for improving the reliability and lifetime of SOCs;
  8. Techno-economic analyses and market perspectives for SOC applications.

Authors are encouraged to provide novel insights, experimental validation, and significant advancements in the field. Contributions combining theoretical analyses with practical applications are highly welcomed. The ultimate goal of this Special Issue is to advance the scientific understanding of SOCs and pave the way for their successful implementation in sustainable energy systems.

By bringing together the latest research and knowledge in this field, we anticipate that this Special Issue will play a vital role in shaping the future of SOCs, fostering collaboration among researchers and facilitating the wider adoption of this promising energy conversion technology.

Dr. Ali Akbari-Fakhrabadi
Guest Editor

Dr. Felipe Sanhueza-Gómez
Guest Editor Assistant

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Processes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • solid oxide fuel cells
  • solid oxide electrolysis cells
  • SOC performance
  • reliability assessment

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

29 pages, 3880 KiB  
Review
Comparative Electrochemical Performance of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells: Hydrogen vs. Ammonia Fuels—A Mini Review
by Lina Hamid, Omer Elmutasim, Dattatray S. Dhawale, Sarbjit Giddey and Gary Paul
Processes 2025, 13(4), 1145; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13041145 - 10 Apr 2025
Viewed by 354
Abstract
Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) have garnered significant attention as a promising technology for clean and efficient power generation due to their ability to utilise renewable fuels such as hydrogen and ammonia. As carbon-free energy carriers, hydrogen and ammonia are expected to play [...] Read more.
Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) have garnered significant attention as a promising technology for clean and efficient power generation due to their ability to utilise renewable fuels such as hydrogen and ammonia. As carbon-free energy carriers, hydrogen and ammonia are expected to play a pivotal role in achieving net-zero emissions. However, a critical research question remains: how does the electrochemical performance of SOFCs compare when fuelled by hydrogen vs. ammonia, and what are the implications for their practical application in power generation? This mini-review paper is premised on the hypothesis that while hydrogen-fuelled SOFCs currently demonstrate superior stability and performance at low and high temperatures, ammonia-fuelled SOFCs offer unique advantages, such as higher electrical efficiencies and improved fuel utilisation. These benefits make ammonia a viable alternative fuel source for SOFCs, particularly at elevated temperatures. To address this, the mini-review paper provides a comprehensive comparative analysis of the electrochemical performance of SOFCs under direct hydrogen and ammonia fuels, focusing on key parameters such as open-circuit voltage (OCV), power density, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, fuel utilisation, stability, and electrical efficiency. Recent advances in electrode materials, electrolytes, fabrication techniques, and cell structures are also highlighted. Through an extensive literature survey, it is found that hydrogen-fuelled SOFCs exhibit higher stability and are less affected by temperature cycling. In contrast, ammonia-fuelled SOFCs achieve higher OCVs (by 7%) and power densities (1880 mW/cm2 vs. 1330 mW/cm2 for hydrogen) at 650 °C, along with 6% higher electrical efficiency. Despite these advantages, ammonia-fuelled SOFCs face challenges such as NOx emissions, nitride formation, environmental impact, and OCV stabilisation, which are discussed alongside potential solutions. This mini review aims to provide insights into the future direction of SOFC research, emphasising the need for further exploration of ammonia as a sustainable fuel alternative. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Solid Oxide Cells (SOCs): Performance and Reliability)
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