As part of our commitment to the solid oxide fuel cell and electrolysis (SOFC and SOEC) research community, FCM is pleased to offer several different solutions to test your single fuel cell and electrolyzer cell samples with both our Planar Manifold Test Fixture Kits and the ProboStat Button Cell Test Fixture System. These single-cell test kits allow you to test out different configurations of electrodes and other variables to further your research and development and make it easy to switch from one test to the next.
The 5 cm x 5 cm and 10 cm x 10 cm Manifold Test Fixtures have been updated this year and are now designed with Alloy X as the base metal. With the updated design, we also offer current collection plates as part of the package. This update allows users to attach silver braided current wire directly to the plates, saving you from keeping the tubes isolated as in the older design. With the better availability of Alloy X material on the market, we have made these kits robust and secure from supply chain challenges that we see from other alloys on the market, making the kits more accessible. This material has high-temperature oxidation resistance as well as high-temperature strength.
Each Manifold Test Fixture Kit comes with a pair of Alloy X manifolds, current collection plates, and Thermocline compression seals specially designed to work with the equipment. It also includes a starter set of other consumables, including our NextCellsTM electrolyte-supported cells or anode-supported cells and meshes, to get you started testing and dialing in the system.
The first step for many researchers is working with smaller button cell parts. This allows you to get data on many different electrode configurations and perform other basic research. We offer the ProboStat Button Cell Test Fixture, which is specially designed to allow you to test cells quickly without mess or long setups. The gas flows and electrical connections are designed to be easy to use, give you plenty of options for how you want to dial in your test, and remove any variables in the setup so you know your results can be trusted. Simply connect your gas flows and electrical load to the base unit and you are set to test.
We offer custom furnaces specially designed for both kits to fit the testing fixture and allow for easy integration. We are happy to answer any questions about these kits and how they can help you with your testing needs.