Recent progresses in the development of tubular segmented-in-series solid oxide fuel cells:Experimental and numerical study

Solid oxide fuel cells(SOFCs)have attracted a great deal of interest because they have the highest efficiency without using any noble metal as catalysts among all the fuel cell technologies.However,traditional SOFCs suffer from having a higher volume,current leakage,complex connections,and difficulty in gas sealing.To solve these problems,Rolls-Royce has fabricated a simple design by stacking cells in series on an insulating porous support,resulting in the tubular segmented-in-series solid oxide fuel cells(SIS-SOFCs),which achieved higher output voltage.This work systematically reviews recent advances in the structures,preparation methods,perform-ances,and stability of tubular SIS-SOFCs in experimental and numerical studies.Finally,the challenges and future development of tubular SIS-SOFCs are also discussed.The findings of this work can help guide the direction and inspire innovation of future development in this field.

Model reduction of fractional impedance spectra for time–frequency analysis of batteries, fuel cells, and supercapacitors

Joint time–frequency analysis is an emerging method for interpreting the underlying physics in fuel cells,batteries,and supercapacitors.To increase the reliability of time–frequency analysis,a theoretical correlation between frequency-domain stationary analysis and time-domain transient analysis is urgently required.The present work formularizes a thorough model reduction of fractional impedance spectra for electrochemical energy devices involving not only the model reduction from fractional-order models to integer-order models and from high-to low-order RC circuits but also insight into the evolution of the characteristic time constants during the whole reduction process.The following work has been carried out:(i)the model-reduction theory is addressed for typical Warburg elements and RC circuits based on the continued fraction expansion theory and the response error minimization technique,respectively;(ii)the order effect on the model reduction of typical Warburg elements is quantitatively evaluated by time–frequency analysis;(iii)the results of time–frequency analysis are confirmed to be useful to determine the reduction order in terms of the kinetic information needed to be captured;and(iv)the results of time–frequency analysis are validated for the model reduction of fractional impedance spectra for lithium-ion batteries,supercapacitors,and solid oxide fuel cells.In turn,the numerical validation has demonstrated the powerful function of the joint time–frequency analysis.The thorough model reduction of fractional impedance spectra addressed in the present work not only clarifies the relationship between time-domain transient analysis and frequency-domain stationary analysis but also enhances the reliability of the joint time–frequency analysis for electrochemical energy devices.

Boosting oxygen reduction activity and CO_(2) resistance on bismuth ferrite-based perovskite cathode for low-temperature solid oxide fuel cells below 600℃

Developing efficient and stable cathodes for low-temperature solid oxide fuel cells(LT-SOFCs) is of great importance for the practical commercialization.Herein,we propose a series of Sm-modified Bi_(0.7-x)Sm_xSr_(0.3)FeO_(3-δ) perovskites as highly-active catalysts for LT-SOFCs.Sm doping can significantly enhance the electrocata lytic activity and chemical stability of cathode.At 600℃,Bi_(0.675)Sm_(0.025)Sr_(0.3)FeO_(3-δ)(BSSF25) cathode has been found to be the optimum composition with a polarization resistance of 0.098 Ω cm^2,which is only around 22.8% of Bi_(0.7)Sr_(0.3)FeO_(3-δ)(BSF).A full cell utilizing BSSF25 displays an exceptional output density of 790 mW cm^(-2),which can operate continuously over100 h without obvious degradation.The remarkable electrochemical performance observed can be attributed to the improved O_(2) transport kinetics,superior surface oxygen adsorption capacity,as well as O_(2)p band centers in close proximity to the Fermi level.Moreover,larger average bonding energy(ABE) and the presence of highly acidic Bi,Sm,and Fe ions restrict the adsorption of CO_(2) on the cathode surface,resulting in excellent CO_(2) resistivity.This work provides valuable guidance for systematic design of efficient and durable catalysts for LT-SOFCs.

Al^(3+) doped CeO_(2) for proton conducting fuel cells

Developing high ionic conducting electrolytes is crucial for applying proton-conducting fuel cell(PCFCs)practically.The cur-rent study investigates the effect of alumina on the structural,morphological,electrical,and electrochemical properties of CeO_(2).Lattice oxygen vacancies are induced in CeO_(2) by a general doping concept that enables fast ionic conduction at low-temperature ranges(300-500℃)for PCFCs.Rietveld refinement of the X-ray diffraction(XRD)patterns established the pure cubic fluorite structure of Al-doped CeO_(2)(ADC)samples and confirmed Al ions’fruitful integration in the CeO_(2) lattice.The electronic structure of the alumina-doped ceria of the materials(10ADC,20ADC,and 30ADC)has been investigated.As a result,it was found that the best composition of 30ADC-based electrolytes induced maximum lattice oxygen vacancies.The corresponding PCFC exhibited a maximum power output of 923 mW/cm^(2)at 500℃.Moreover,the investigation proves the proton-conducting ability of alumina-doped ceria-based fuel cells by using an oxide ion-blocking layer.

Enhancing layered perovskite ferrites with ultra-high-density nanoparticles via cobalt doping for ceramic fuel cell anode

Nanoparticles anchored on the perovskite surface have gained considerable attention for their wide-ranging applications in heterogeneous catalysis and energy conversion due to their robust and integrated structural configuration.Herein,we employ controlled Co doping to effectively enhance the nanoparticle exsolution process in layered perovskite ferrites materials.CoFe alloy nanoparticles with ultra-high-density are exsolved on the(PrBa)_(0.95)(Fe_(0.8)Co_(0.1)Nb_(0.1))2O_(5+δ)(PBFCN_(0.1))surface under reducing atmosphere,providing significant amounts of reaction sites and good durability for hydrocarbon catalysis.Under a reducing atmosphere,cobalt facilitates the reduction of iron cations within PBFCN_(0.1),leading to the formation of CoFe alloy nanoparticles.This formation is accompanied by a cation exchange process,wherein,with the increase in temperature,partial cobalt ions are substituted by iron.Meanwhile,Co doping significantly enhance the electrical conductivity due to the stronger covalency of the Cosingle bondO bond compared with Fesingle bondO bond.A single cell with the configuration of PBFCN_(0.1)-Sm_(0.2)Ce_(0.8)O_(1.9)(SDC)|SDC|Ba_(0.5)Sr_(0.5)Co_(0.8)Fe_(0.2)O_(3−δ)(BSCF)-SDC achieves an extremely low polarization resistance of 0.0163Ωcm^(2)and a high peak power density of 740 mW cm^(−2)at 800℃.The cell also shows stable operation for 120 h in H_(2)with a constant current density of 285 mA cm^(−2).Furthermore,employing wet C_(2)H_(6)as fuel,the cell demonstrates remarkable performance,achieving peak power densities of 455 mW cm^(−2)at 800℃and 320 mW cm^(−2)at 750℃,marking improvements of 36%and 70%over the cell with(PrBa)_(0.95)(Fe_(0.9)Nb_(0.1))_(2)O_(5+δ)(PBFN)-SDC at these respective temperatures.This discovery emphasizes how temperature influences alloy nanoparticles exsolution within doped layered perovskite ferrites materials,paving the way for the development of high-performance ceramic fuel cell anodes.

Probing the Efficiency of PPMG-Based Composite Electrolytes for Applications of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell

PPMG-based composite electrolytes were fabricated via the solution method using the polyvinyl alcohol and polyvinylpyrrolidone blend reinforced with various contents of sulfonated inorganic filler.Sulfuric acid was employed as the sulfonating agent to functionalize the external surface of the inorganic filler,i.e.,graphene oxide.The proton conductivities of the newly prepared proton exchange membranes(PEMs)were increased by increasing the temperature and content of sulfonated graphene oxide(SGO),i.e.,ranging from 0.025 S/cm to 0.060 S/cm.The induction of the optimum level of SGO is determined to be an excellent route to enhance ionic conductivity.The single-cell performance test was conducted by sandwiching the newly prepared PEMs between an anode(0.2 mg/cm^(2) Pt/Ru)and a cathode(0.2 mg/cm^(2) Pt)to prepare membrane electrode assemblies,followed by hot pressing under a pressure of approximately 100 kg/cm^(2) at 60℃for 5–10 min.The highest power densities achieved with PPMG PEMs were 14.9 and 35.60 mW/cm^(2) at 25℃and 70℃,respectively,at ambient pressure with 100%relative humidity.Results showed that the newly prepared PEMs exhibit good electrochemical performance.The results indicated that the prepared composite membrane with 6 wt%filler can be used as an alternative membrane for applications of high-performance proton exchange membrane fuel cell.

Recent progress on mechanisms,principles,and strategies for high-activity and high-stability non-PGM fuel cell catalyst design

The commercialization of a polymer membrane H2-O2 fuel cell and its widespread use call for the development of cost-effective oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)nonplatinum group metal(NPGM)catalysts.Nevertheless,to meet the requests for the real-world fuel cell application and replacing platinum catalysts,it still needs to address some challenges for NPGM catalysts regarding the sluggish ORR kinetics in the cathode and their poor durability in acidic environment.In response to these issues,numerous efforts have been made to study NPGM catalysts both theoretically and experimentally,developed these into the atomically dispersed coordinated metal-nitrogen-carbon(M-N-C)form over the past decades.In this review,we present a comprehensive summary of recent advancements on NPGM catalysts with high activity and durability.Catalyst design strategies in terms of optimizing active-site density and enhancing catalyst stability against demetalization and carbon corrosion are highlighted.It is also emphasized the importance of understanding the mechanisms and principles behind those strategies through a combination of theoretical modeling and experimental work.Especially,further understanding the mechanisms related to the active-site structure and the formation process of the single-atom active site under pyrolysis conditions is critical for active-site engineering.Optimizing the active-site distance is the basic principle for improving catalyst activity through increasing the catalyst active-site density.Theoretical studies for the catalyst deactivation mechanism and modeling stable active-site structures provide both mechanisms and principles to improve the NPGM catalyst durability.Finally,currently remained challenges and perspectives in the future on designing high-performance atomically dispersed NPGM catalysts toward fuel cell application are discussed.

Critical role of carbon support in metal nanoaggregate facilitating Fe-N-C catalyst for PEM fuel cell application

Metal nanoaggregates can simultaneously enhance the activity and stability of Fe-N-C catalysts in proton-exchange-membrane fuel cells(PEMFC).Previous studies on the relevant mechanism have focused on the direct interaction between FeN_(4)active sites and metal nanoaggregates.However,the role of carbon support that hosts metal nanoaggregates and active sites has been overlooked.Here,a Fe-N-C catalyst encapsulating inactive gold nanoparticles is prepared as a model catalyst to investigate the electronic tuning of Au nanoparticles(NPs)towards the carbon support.Au NPs donate electrons to carbon support,making it rich inπelectrons,which reduces the work function and regulates the electronic configuration of the FeN_(4)sites for an enhanced ORR activity.Meanwhile,the electron-rich carbon support can mitigate the electron depletion of FeN_(4)sites caused by carbon support oxidation,thereby preserving its high activity.The yield and accumulation of H_(2)O_(2)are thus alleviated,which delays the oxidation of the catalyst and benefits the stability.Due to the electron-rich carbon support,the composite catalyst achieves a top-level peak power density of 0.74 W/cm^(2) in a 1.5 bar H_(2)-air PEMFC,as well as the improved stability.This work elucidates the key role of carbon support in the performance enhancement of the FeN-C/metal nanoaggregate composite catalysts for fuel cell application.

Boost the Utilization of Dense FeN_(4) Sites for High-Performance Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

Iron-nitrogen-carbon(Fe-N-C)catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction(ORR)in proton exchange membrane fuel cells(PEMFCs)have seriously been hindered by their poor ORR performance of Fe-N-C due to the low active site density(SD)and site utilization.Herein,we reported a melamine-assisted vapor deposition approach to overcome these hindrances.The melamine not only compensates for the loss of nitrogen caused by high-temperature pyrolysis but also effectively etches the carbon substrate,increasing the external surface area and mesoporous porosity of the carbon substrate.These can provide more useful area for subsequent vapor deposition on active sites.The prepared 0.20Mela-FeNC catalyst shows a fourfold higher SD value and site utilization than the FeNC without the treatment of melamine.As a result,0.20Mela-FeNC catalyst exhibits a high ORR activity with a half-wave potential(E_(1/2))of 0.861 V and 12-fold higher ORR mass activity than the FeNC in acidic media.As the cathode in a H_(2)-O_(2)PEMFCs,0.20Mela-FeNC catalyst demonstrates a high peak power density of 1.30 W cm^(-2),outstripping most of the reported Fe-N-C catalysts.The developed melamine-assisted vapor deposition approach for boosting the SD and utilization of Fe-N-C catalysts offers a new insight into high-performance ORR electrocatalysts.

Tailoring Iron-Ion Release of Cellulose-Based Aerogel-Coated Iron Foam for Long-Term High-Power Microbial Fuel Cells

The presence of iron(Fe) has been found to favor power generation in microbial fuel cells(MFCs). To achieve long-term power production in MFCs, it is crucial to effectively tailor the release of Fe ions over extended operating periods. In this study, we developed a composite anode(A/IF) by coating iron foam with cellulose-based aerogel. The concentration of Fe ions in the anode solution of A/IF anode reaches 0.280 μg/mL(Fe^(2+) vs. Fe^(3+) = 61%:39%) after 720 h of aseptic primary cell operation. This value was significantly higher than that(0.198 μg/mL, Fe^(2+) vs. Fe^(3+) = 92%:8%) on uncoated iron foam(IF), indicating a continuous release of Fe ions over long-term operation. Notably, the resulting MFCs hybrid cell exhibited a 23% reduction in Fe ion concentration(compared to a 47% reduction for the IF anode) during the sixth testing cycle(600-720 h). It achieved a high-power density of 301 ± 55 mW/m^(2) at 720 h, which was 2.62 times higher than that of the IF anode during the same period. Furthermore, a sedimentary microbial fuel cell(SMFCs) was constructed in a marine environment, and the A/IF anode demonstrated a power density of 103 ± 3 mW/m^(2) at 3240 h, representing a 75% improvement over the IF anode. These findings elucidate the significant enhancement in long-term power production performance of MFCs achieved through effective tailoring of Fe ions release during operation.

Effect of carbon material and surfactant on ink property and resulting surface cracks of fuel-cell microporous layers

Ensuring the consistency of electrode structure in proton-exchange-membrane fuel cells is highly desired yet challenging because of wide-existing and unguided cracks in the microporous layer(MPL). The first thing is to evaluate the homogeneity of MPL with cracks quantitatively. This paper proposes the homogeneity index of a full-scale MPL with an area of 50 cm~2, which is yet to be reported in the literature to our knowledge. Besides, the effects of the carbon material and surfactant on the ink and resulting MPL structure have been studied. The ink with a high network development degree produces an MPL with low crack density, but the ink with high PDI produces an MPL with low crack homogeneity. The polarity of the surfactant and the non-polarity of polytetrafluoroethylene(PTFE) are not mutually soluble,resulting in the heterogeneous PTFE distribution. The findings of this study provide guidelines for MPL fabrication.

Effect of bipolar-plates design on corrosion,mass and heat transfer in proton-exchange membrane fuel cells and water electrolyzers:A review

Attaining a decarbonized and sustainable energy system,which is the core solution to global energy issues,is accessible through the development of hydrogen energy.Proton-exchange membrane water electrolyzers(PEMWEs)are promising devices for hydrogen production,given their high efficiency,rapid responsiveness,and compactness.Bipolar plates account for a relatively high percentage of the total cost and weight compared with other components of PEMWEs.Thus,optimization of their design may accelerate the promotion of PEMWEs.This paper reviews the advances in materials and flow-field design for bipolar plates.First,the working conditions of proton-exchange membrane fuel cells(PEMFCs)and PEMWEs are compared,including reaction direction,operating temperature,pressure,input/output,and potential.Then,the current research status of bipolar-plate substrates and surface coatings is summarized,and some typical channel-rib flow fields and porous flow fields are presented.Furthermore,the effects of materials on mass and heat transfer and the possibility of reducing corrosion by improving the flow field structure are explored.Finally,this review discusses the potential directions of the development of bipolar-plate design,including material fabrication,flow-field geometry optimization using threedimensional printing,and surface-coating composition optimization based on computational materials science.

Performance Degradation Prediction of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Based on CEEMDAN-KPCA and DA-GRU Networks

In order to improve the performance degradation prediction accuracy of proton exchange membrane fuel cell(PEMFC),a fusion prediction method(CKDG)based on adaptive noise complete ensemble empirical mode decomposition(CEEMDAN),kernel principal component analysis(KPCA)and dual attention mechanism gated recurrent unit neural network(DA-GRU)was proposed.CEEMDAN and KPCA were used to extract the input feature data sequence,reduce the influence of random factors,and capture essential feature components to reduce the model complexity.The DA-GRU network helps to learn the feature mapping relationship of data in long time series and predict the changing trend of performance degradation data more accurately.The actual aging experimental data verify the performance of the CKDG method.The results show that under the steady-state condition of 20%training data prediction,the CKDA method can reduce the root mean square error(RMSE)by 52.7%and 34.6%,respectively,compared with the traditional LSTM and GRU neural networks.Compared with the simple DA-GRU network,RMSE is reduced by 15%,and the degree of over-fitting is reduced,which has higher accuracy.It also shows excellent prediction performance under the dynamic condition data set and has good universality.

From concept to commercialization:A review of tubular solid oxide fuel cell technology

The reduced sealing difficulty of tubular solid oxide fuel cells(SOFCs)makes the stacking of tubular cell groups relatively easy,and the thermal stress constraints during stack operation are smaller,which helps the stack to operate stably for a long time.The special design of tubular SOFC structures can completely solve the problem of high-temperature sealing,especially in the design of multiple single-cell series integrated into one tube,where each cell tube is equivalent to a small electric stack,with unique characteristics of high voltage and low current output,which can significantly reduce the ohmic polarization loss of tubular cells.This paper provides an overview of typical tubular SOFC structural designs both domestically and internationally.Based on the geometric structure of tubular SOFCs,they can be divided into bamboo tubes,bamboo flat tubes,single-section tubes,and single-section flat tube structures.Meanwhile,this article provides an overview of commonly used materials and preparation methods for tubular SOFCs,including commonly used materials and preparation methods for support and functional layers,as well as a comparison of commonly used preparation methods for microtubule SOFCs,It introduced the three most important parts of building a fuel cell stack:manifold,current collector,and ceramic adhesive,and also provided a detailed introduction to the power generation systems of different tubular SOFCs,Finally,the development prospects of tubular SOFCs were discussed.

Effects of baffle position in serpentine flow channel on the performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cells

This study used a three-dimensional numerical model of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell with five types of channels:a smooth channel(Case 1);eight rectangular baffles were arranged in the upstream(Case 2),midstream(Case 3),downstream(Case 4),and the entire cathode flow channel(Case 5)to study the effects of baffle position on mass transport,power density,net power,etc.Moreover,the effects of back pressure and humidity on the voltage were investigated.Results showed that compared to smooth channels,the oxygen and water transport facilitation at the diffusion layer-channel interface were added 11.53%-20.60%and 7.81%-9.80%at 1.68 A·cm^(-2)by adding baffles.The closer the baffles were to upstream,the higher the total oxygen flux,but the lower the flux uniformity the worse the water removal.The oxygen flux of upstream baffles was 8.14%higher than that of downstream baffles,but oxygen flux uniformity decreased by 18.96%at 1.68 A·cm^(-2).The order of water removal and voltage improvement was Case 4>Case 5>Case 3>Case 2>Case 1.Net power of Case 4 was 9.87%higher than that of the smooth channel.To the Case 4,when the cell worked under low back pressure or high humidity,the voltage increments were higher.The potential increment for the back pressure of 0 atm was 0.9%higher than that of 2 atm(1 atm=101.325 kPa).The potential increment for the humidity of 100%was 7.89%higher than that of 50%.

Continuous Lithium-Ion Extraction From Seawater and Mine Water With a Fuel Cell System and Ceramic Membranes

The demand for electronic devices that utilize lithium is steadily increasing in this rapidly advancing technological world.Obtaining high-purity lithium in an environmentally friendly way is challenging by using commercialized methods.Herein,we propose the first fuel cell system for continuous lithium-ion extraction using a lithium superionic conductor membrane and advanced electrode.The fuel cell system for extracting lithium-ion has demonstrated a twofold increase in the selectivity of Li^(+)/Na^(+)while producing electricity.Our data show that the fuel cell with a titania-coated electrode achieves 95%lithium-ion purity while generating 10.23 Wh of energy per gram of lithium.Our investigation revealed that using atomic layer deposition improved the electrode's uniformity,stability,and electrocatalytic activity.After 2000 cycles determined by cyclic voltammetry,the electrode preserved its stability.

Series Reports from Professor Wei's Group of Chongqing University:Advancements in Electrochemical Energy Conversions(1/4):Report 1:High-performance Oxygen Reduction Catalysts for Fuel Cells

Two major challenges,high cost and short lifespan,have been hindering the commercialization process of lowtemperature fuel cells.Professor Wei's group has been focusing on decreasing cathode Pt loadings without losses of activity and durability,and their research advances in this area over the past three decades are briefly reviewed herein.Regarding the Pt-based catalysts and the low Pt usage,they have firstly tried to clarify the degradation mechanism of Pt/C catalysts,and then demonstrated that the activity and stability could be improved by three strategies:regulating the nanostructures of the active sites,enhancing the effects of support materials,and optimizing structures of the three-phase boundary.For Pt-free catalysts,especialiy carbon-based ones,several strategies that they proposed to enhance the activity of nitrogen-/heteroatom-doped carbon catalysts are firstly presented.Then,an indepth understanding of the degradation mechanism for carbon-based catalysts is discussed,and followed by the corresponding stability enhancement strategies.Also,the carbon-based electrode at the micrometer-scale,faces the challenges such as low active-site density,thick catalytic layer,and the effect of hydrogen peroxide,which require rational structure design for the integral cathodic electrode.This review finally gives a brief conclusion and outlook about the low cost and long lifespan of cathodic oxygen reduction catalysts.

Transforming liquid flow fuel cells to controllable reactors for highlyefficient oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural to 2, 5-furandicarboxylic acid at low temperature

Highly-efficient oxidation of 5-hydroxymethylfurtural(HMF) to 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid(FDCA) at low temperature with air as the oxidant is still challenging.Herein,inspired by the respirato ry electron transport chain(ETC) of living cells mediated by electron carriers,we constructed artificial ETCs and transformed liquid flow fuel cells(LFFCs) to flexible reactors for efficient oxidation of HMF to produce FDCA under mild conditions.This LFFC reactor employed an electrodeposition modified nickel foam as an anode to promote HMF oxidation and(VO_(2))_(2)SO_(4) as a cathode electron carrier to facilitate the electron transfer to air.The reaction rate could be easily controlled by selecting the anode catalyst,adjusting the external loading and changing the cathodic electron carrier or oxidants.A maximal power density of 44.9 mW cm^(-2) at room temperature was achieved,while for FDCA production,short-circuit condition was preferred to achieve quick transfer of electrons.For a single batch operation with 0.1 M initial HMF,FDCA yield reached 97.1%.By fed-batch operation,FDCA concentration reached 144.5 g L^(-1) with a total yield of 96%.Ni^(2+)/Ni^(3+) redox couple was the active species mediating the electron transfer,while both experimental and DFT calculation results indicated that HMFCA pathway was the preferred reaction mechanism.

Analysis of the Influence of Geometrical Parameters on the Performance of a Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell

A suitable channel structure can lead to efficient gas distribution and significantly improve the power density of fuel cells.In this study,the influence of two channel design parameters is investigated,namely,the ratio of the channel width to the bipolar plate ridge width(i.e.,the channel ridge ratio)and the channel depth.The impact of these parameters is evaluated with respect to the flow pattern,the gas composition distribution,the temperature field and the fuel cell output capability.The results show that a decrease in the channel ridge ratio and an increase in the channel depth can effectively make the distributions of velocity,temperature and concentration more uniform in each channel and improve the output capability of the fuel cell.An increase in the channel ridge ratio and depth obviously reduces the flow resistance and improves the flow characteristics.

Investigation and optimization of high-valent Ta-doped SrFeO_(3-δ)as air electrode for intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells

To explore highly active and thermomechanical stable air electrodes for intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells(ITSOFCs),10mol%Ta5+doped in the B site of strontium ferrite perovskite oxide(SrTa_(0.1)Fe_(0.9)O_(3-δ),STF)is investigated and optimized.The effects of Ta^(5+)doping on structure,transition metal reduction,oxygen nonstoichiometry,thermal expansion,and electrical performance are evaluated systematically.Via 10mol%Ta^(5+)doping,the thermal expansion coefficient(TEC)decreased from 34.1×10^(-6)(SrFeO_(3-δ))to 14.6×10^(-6) K^(-1)(STF),which is near the TEC of electrolyte(13.3×10^(-6) K^(-1) for Sm_(0.2)Ce_(0.8)O_(1.9),SDC),indicates excellent thermomechanical compatibility.At 550-750℃,STF shows superior oxygen vacancy concentrations(0.262 to 0.331),which is critical in the oxygen-reduction reaction(ORR).Oxygen temperature-programmed desorption(O_(2)-TPD)indicated the thermal reduction onset temperature of iron ion is around 420℃,which matched well with the inflection points on the thermos-gravimetric analysis and electrical conductivity curves.At 600℃,the STF electrode shows area-specific resistance(ASR)of 0.152Ω·cm^(2) and peak power density(PPD)of 749 mW·cm^(-2).ORR activity of STF was further improved by introducing 30wt%Sm_(0.2)Ce_(0.8)O_(1.9)(SDC)powder,STF+SDC composite cathode achieving outstanding ASR value of 0.115Ω·cm2 at 600℃,even comparable with benchmark cobalt-containing cathode,Ba_(0.5)Sr_(0.5)Co_(0.8)Fe_(0.2)O_(3-δ)(BSCF).Distribution of relaxation time(DRT)analysis revealed that the oxygen surface exchange and bulk diffusion were improved by forming a composite cathode.At 650℃,STF+SDC composite cathode achieving an outstanding PPD of 1117 mW·cm^(-2).The excellent results suggest that STF and STF+SDC are promising air electrodes for IT-SOFCs.