Demonstration and stack concept of quick startup/shutdown SOFC (qSOFC)

The quick startup/shutdown operation of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) was demonstrated. It took only 15 seconds to startup with butane as fuel. The demonstration confirmed that a small tubular cell could endure thermal stress caused by rapid heating up to operating temperature. A new stack concept of small tubular cells was also proposed for quick startup application. A three-cell prototype stack equipped with a rapid heating burner was examined.