Semester

Spring

Date of Graduation

2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

MS

College

Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources

Department

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Committee Chair

Edward M. Sabolsky

Committee Member

Konstantinos Sierros

Committee Member

Xueyan Song

Abstract

The goal of this work is to 3D print a full SOFC layer-by-layer using aerosol deposition (AD) at a resolution of 5 μm. To achieve this goal, several studies were undertaken to develop and optimize an AD system to use ceramic inks. A 130 kHz AD system was developed with 4 material pumps to allow for depositions of individual compositions of the in-situ mixture of multiple solutions to allow for the fabrication of functional gradients in three dimensions. This system was then programmed to deposit air electrode layers containing different material ratios and porous microstructures, comparing their electrochemical performance to create a baseline. The deposition of the dense electrolyte layer was the next step, which is necessary to prevent fuel and gas from permeating out of the cell structure. Multiple process parameters were developed and evaluated in effort to minimize microstructural defects in the deposited layers and macrostructural defects in the anode substrate. The addition of an additional NiO/YSZ layer, deposited between the anode support and electrolyte layer was found to be necessary due to defects found when sintering electrolyte layers directly on the anode supports. Multiple NiO powder types were tested to determine which has the greatest positive impact on both anode surface quality and electrolyte quality. These best parameters were then combined with an Ultrafast High Temperature Sintering (UHS) method to rapidly produce small (~1 cm) button cells with microstructural characterization and electrochemical testing used to evaluate their effectiveness when used together. Lastly, a different nozzle configuration was incorporated into the system and its effectiveness at depositing air electrodes was focused on determining if the system parameters could be improved and pave the way for future work.

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