On the Nonlinear Behavior of a Glass-Ceramic Seal and Its Application in Planar SOFC Systems

This paper studies the nonlinear behavior of a glass-ceramic seal used in planar solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). To this end, a viscoelastic damage model has been developed that can capture the nonlinear material response due to both progressive damage in the glass-ceramic material and viscous flow of the residual glass in this material. The model has been implemented in the MSC MARC finite element code, and its validation has been carried out using the experimental relaxation test data obtained for this material at 700°C, 750°C, and 800°C. Finally, it has been applied to the simulation of a SOFC stack under thermal cycling conditions. The areas of potential damage have been predicted.