Numerical Investigations on the Damage Behaviour of a Reconstructed Anode for Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Application

This paper addresses the damage behaviour of a nickel/yttria-stabilised zirconia (Ni-YSZ) anode, in order to understand microstructural degradation processes of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) during long-term operation. Numerical investigations are carried out to analyse the failure mechanisms in detail. For this purpose, finite element (FE) models are generated from focused ion beam-scanning electron microscopy 3D image data, representing the anode microstructure with varying phase compositions. A brittle model and a ductile material model were assigned to the YSZ phase and the nickel phase, respectively. The porosity is found to affect the strength of the microstructure significantly, leading to low compressive strength results. A high Ni content generally increases the toughness of the overall structure. However, the orientation and the geometry of the nickel phase is essential. When the Ni phase is aligned parallel to the loading direction, a supporting effect on the microstructure is observed, resulting in a significant high toughness. On the contrary, a rapid failure of the sample occurs when the Ni phase is oriented perpendicular to the loading direction. Two main failure mechanisms are identified: (i) cracking at the Ni/YSZ interface and (ii) cracking of struts at the location of the smallest diameter.