Local current measurement in a solid oxide fuel cell repeat element

A planar solid oxide fuel cell repeating unit, 50 cm2 in total active electrode size, consisting of an anode supported electrolyte cell bearing two 7 mm holes for fuel and air injection, and contacted to two dense metal current collector plates via gas distribution layers, was constructed with the aim of measuring local current densities rather than the integral current over the full area. The cathode side was entirely segmented (i.e. cathode layer, gas distribution layer, metal current collector plate) into 8 galvanically separated parts of ca. 6.5 cm2 each, with own current and potential leads.