Visualization of SOFC Anode by Dual Imaging Method Using Infrared and Visible Light Cameras

Thermography imaging can be applied for the surface of a SOFC electrode to evaluate the distribution of an electrochemical reaction during which either heat generation or absorption will take place. For getting a correct temperature distribution, change in emissivity of the object caused by chemical reactions or material coverage must be precisely evaluated. In-situ observation method using both infrared and visible light cameras, hereafter called dual imaging method, enables us to obtain a precise temperature distribution, because the influence of emissivity change can be eliminated by a visible light imaging technique. In this study, the dual imaging method was applied for an anode material which was exposed to a fuel flow prone to coke formation, and the information on the temperature distribution was successfully separated from the reflection of the coke deposited on the surface of anode to have a true temperature distribution.