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1 Patent Search Engine Help Welcome to IPAIRS Version 2.0 Granted Patents Published Applications Application Status Agent Register Patent Eregister APPLICATION NUMBER APPLICANT NAME 1954/DEL/2010 DATE OF FILING 17/08/ :02:39 PRIORITY DATE TITLE OF INVENTION PUBLICATION DATE (U/S 11A) Detail COUNCIL OF SCIENTIFIC & INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH NA PLANAR ANODE SUPPORTED SOLID OXIDE FUEL CELL USING FUNCTIONAL ANODE AND A PROCESS THEREOF 25/10/2013 Application Status Request For Examination Date 27/11/ :05:17 Status Application Awaiting Examination Print Back Report View Complete Specification View E register Order(s)/Decision(s) View Documents View Examination Report(s) Application Number Search Format Delhi 172/DEL/2001 or 172/DELNP/2001 Kolkata 172/KOL/2001 or 172/KOLNP/2001 or 172/CAL/2001 Mumbai 172/MUM/2001 or 172/MUMNP/2001 or 172/BOM/2001 Chennai 172/CHE/2001 or 172/CHENP/2001 or 172/MAS/2001 Disclaimer: The information under "Application Status" is dynamically retrieved and is under testing, therefore the information retrieved by this system is not valid for any legal proceedings under the Patents Act In case of any discrepancy you may contact the appropriate Patent Office or send your comments to following IDs: Patent Office, Kolkata: kolkata patent@nic.in Patent Office, Delhi: delhi patent@nic.in Patent Office, Chennai: chennai patent@nic.in Patent Office, Mumbai: mumbai patent@nic.in Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks Best View in Resolution of 1024x768 or later. Enable Javascript for Better Performance. 1/1

2 Patent Search Engine Help Welcome to IPAIRS Version 2.0 Granted Patents Published Applications Application Status Agent Register Patent Eregister Complete Specification Field of the invention: The present invention relates to an improved process for the preparation of planar anode supported solid oxide fuel cell using functional anode. The present invention particularly relates to an improved process for making planar anode supported solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) with improved electrochemical performance that is based on the development of anode supported half cell comprising of a thin and gas tight 8 mole% yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) electrolyte supported on a novel functional anode of porous Ni YSZ cermet followed by development of a porous strontium doped lanthanum manganite, La(Sr)MnO3 (LSM) based cathode and current collection layers over the YSZ electrolyte. Such anode supported planar SOFC single cells can be used for fabrication of SOFC stack in planar configuration. Background and prior art of the invention: Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are considered to be one of the most promising power generation technologies for the future due to its high efficiency, zero (or extremely low) pollution level and fuel flexibility. In SOFC, the oxygen ions (O2 ) are conducted from the porous air electrode (cathode), where they are formed, through a gas tight, ceramic, oxygen ion conducting electrolyte to the porous fuel electrode (anode). There, they react with the fuel, such as hydrogen, natural gas, coal gas, to deliver electrons to the external circuit and produce electricity. The state of the art materials for SOFC are YSZ as the electrolyte, Ni YSZ as the anode and La(Sr)MnO3 (LSM) as the cathode. Presently, SOFCs are produced mainly in two different designs: tubular type and flat planar type. The different fuel cell designs possess a number of advantages and disadvantages such as easy gas manifolding and structural reliability which has been demonstrated for the tubular types, whereas compactness and potential reduction of materials involved are the main advantages of the flat planar type design. Generally electrolyte supported cells and electrodesupported cells are the two possible configurations of planar design that are available in the market. In case of electrolyte supported design, it is practically possible to achieve a mechanically stable structure only when the electrolyte thickness is greater than 200 µm. However, for such a high thickness of the electrolyte, the ohmic loss across the same is appreciably high and the cell have to be operated at a very high temperature of around 1000 C in order to have sufficient conductivity through the electrolyte to be useful for practical device application. These problems can be overcome if a thin electrolyte layer can be fabricated over a thick and porous electrode support which is the basis of anode supported design. In this design while the porous anode provides the mechanical support, the thinness of the electrolyte helps in lowering the ohmic losses across it. Thus, for an anode supported SOFC, the operating temperature can be lowered down to about 800 C or even less (depending on the thickness of the electrolyte film) without compromising with the power output. This allows the device to be made of less expensive materials. Other than the operating temperature, the output power of a SOFC is a function of the area specific resistance (ASR) of the fuel cell, and the overall ionic conductivity of the electrolyte and the electrodes. For the anode supported SOFC, the major cell component is the anode support. The ASR of the anode may be influenced by the Ni content of the electrode and its microstructure. Conventionally, Ni in the form of NiO is uniformly dispersed in the YSZ matrix so that the resultant NiO YSZ undergoes in situ reduction during SOFC operation to form Ni YSZ cermet. However, to achieve good electrical conductivity and a low ASR, the Ni in the Ni YSZ cermet must form a coherent conducting "network" which generally requires a higher Ni content (35 45 vol%). Apart from higher thermal mismatch with the adjacent YSZ electrolyte, another major drawback of such cermet anodes having significantly high Ni content is the coarsening of nickel particles during long term operation of the SOFC at the high operating temperature (> 750 C). The ionic conductivity of the electrode also has, a major influence, on the power produced. The electrochemical reactions that drive the fuel cell are conventionally considered to occur at or around the three phase boundary (TPB), where the electrolyte meets the electrode and the electrode is in contact with the reactant gas. Two active layers e.g., anode active layer and cathode active layer are normally used between the anode electrolyte and cathode electrolyte interfaces respectively to increase the triple phase boundary (TPB) lengths with consequent enhancement in electrochemical reactions on each side of the electrolyte. Conventionally, such active layers comprise of uniform mixture of the active electrode (electronic conductor) and the electrolyte (ionic conductor) the composition and particle size ratio of which are crucial in establishing the resultant microstructure and hence the electrochemical performance of the cell. Also, for the fabrication of anode supported planar SOFC, conventionally the porous anode support is fabricated first, over which the thin (5 50 µm) layer of YSZ electrolyte is developed to form the halfcell. Another problem associated with the development of single cell (of SOFC) is that during subsequent fabrication of the LSM based cathode, if the processing temperature is more than 1150 C, the LSM reacts with the adjacent YSZ electrolyte to form insulating layers like lanthanum zirconate, strontium zirconate, at the interface causing poor cell performance. Thus it is a major challenge to restrict the processing temperature within 1150 C during fabrication of the LSM based cathode. Reference may be made to the work of R. Muccillo, E.N.S. Muccillo, F.C. Fonseca, Y.V. Franc, T.C. Porfirio, D.Z. de Florio, M.A.C. Berton and CM. Garcia, J. Power Sources, 156 (2006) , wherein a three step process for fabrication of a NiO YSZ (40/60 vol.%) anode supported YSZ electrolyte film has been described. In addition to the drawbacks associated with a high Ni content in the anode as mentioned above and large numbers of required process steps, the disclosed process suffers from another drawback in the sense that the process uses 'hand brushing' technique to deposit the electrolyte (YSZ) layer on the pre sintered anode (NiO YSZ) substrate whereby the uniformity in thickness of the electrolyte layer depends on individual skill of the worker and will vary from person to person. Moreover, during fabrication of the LSM cathode, the processing temperature is as high as 1200 C. Also, the open circuit voltage of the cell at 800 C is only 0.75 V which is far below the theoretical value (1.05 V) and the peak power densities are ~7 and 18 mw/ cm2 at 700 and 800 C respectively and are extremely small for any practical application. Reference may also be made to US Patent No , which discloses a spray coating process for the fabrication of dense and thin electrolyte layer on porous NiO YSZ anode substrate having as high as 50 wt.% NiO for the development of SOFC. However, the half cell fabrication involves a two step process where the anode substrate is made first upon which the electrolyte layer is deposited in the second step. This method, as mentioned earlier, lengthens the processing time as well as the cost and is a major drawback. Moreover, during fabrication of the LSM cathode, the processing temperature was as high as 1250 C which will result in poor performance of the cell for reasons as mentioned earlier. Reference may further be made to the work of V.A.C. Haanappel, J. Mertens, D. Rutenbeck, C. Tropartz, W. 1/8

3 Herzhof, D. Sebold and F. Tietz,, J. Power Sources, 141 (2005) , where the fabrication of anodesupported SOFC having improved electrochemical performance has been described. Although a very high current density of 1.5 A/cm2 at 800 C and 0.7 V was obtained, one of the major drawbacks of the described process is that a large number of process steps are required to complete the cell fabrication. Moreover, for the fabrication of thin electrolyte (YSZ) film on the porous anode support, vacuum slip casting (VSC) technique has been employed that requires special apparatus which is not available commercially. Also the disadvantages of the VSC process are the handling of large quantities of solvents and the limitation in the thickness of the layer. Reference may further be made to US Patent No that discloses a process for the fabrication of SOFC having a supported electrolyte film. In the disclosed process, a high power density in the range of 0.7 W/cm2 to 1.0 W/cm2 at 750 C has been reported. However, for the complete fabrication of the anode supported cell, a large number of process steps are involved and is a major drawback. Moreover, for the fabrication of the electrolyte film, dip coating technique has been employed whereby it is very difficult to control the uniformity in thickness of the film. Thus, it is desirable that a method be developed where the SOFC single cell can be made by co firing a uniformly thin and gastight YSZ electrolyte supported on a porous NiO YSZ anode in a single step followed by application of the LSM cathode layer that can be processed at less than 1150 C. It is also desirable that the Ni content in such NiO YSZ anode supports should be as low as possible but without affecting the required electrical conductivity (~ 500 S/cm at 800 C) in the resultant Ni YSZ cermet anode during SOFC operation Reference may be made to the work of P. Charpentier, P. Fragnaud, D.M. Schleich and E. Gehain, Solid State Ionics, 135 (2000) , wherein the preparation of thin film SOFCs based on the anode supported design has been described that uses relatively low Ni content (~ 25 vol%) in the anode. In the abovementioned work, although the Ni content in the NiO YSZ anode is low (~ 25 vol%), the half cell has been fabricated in a two step process and is a drawback of the process. Moreover, the spray coating technique that has been employed to fabricate the YSZ electrolyte, results in non uniformity in the electrolyte coating thickness. In addition, during fabrication of the LSM cathode, the half cells were kept at 400 C that requires some heating arrangement and is a major drawback of the process. Also, at 850 C, under a cell voltage of 0.7 V, the current density is only 0.1 A/cm2 which is very small and not at all suitable for any practical application. Reference may also be made to the work of D. Montinaro, V.M. Sglavo, M. Bertoldi, T. Zandonella, A. Arico, M. Lo Faro and V. Antonucci, Solid State Ionics, 177 ( 2006), where an attempt to realize solid oxide half cells (porous anode/dense anode interlayer/electrolyte/electrolyte cathode interlayer) by one step warmpressing of green layers obtained by aqueous tape casting and co firing was undertaken.. Besides being clumsy, the disclosed process has several other drawbacks. Thus, as water based slurries have been used for ceramic tape casting, drying of the cast slurry, particularly under the conditions of the described process (T = 25 C under RH 70 90%), takes a long time so that the ultimate processing time increases. Moreover, during lamination, a temperature (80 C) above ambient was to be used that requires some special arrangement. Also, the peak power density at 800 C is only 260mW/ cm and is very small for any practical application. Reference may also be made to US Patent Publication No. 2004/ wherein a one step consolidation process for manufacturing solid oxide fuel cells has been disclosed. However, as the process involved is based on powder consolidation, it is very difficult to control the thickness of the individual SOFC components, particularly the thin electrolyte layer. Moreover, the process requires costly equipments like hot press or hot isostatic press as well as complicated die assembly. Above all, no performance data for the cell, thus fabricated, has been mentioned to substantiate the suitability of the disclosed process. Reference may be made to US Patent Publication No. 2005/ wherein a process for solid oxide fuel cell manufacture has been disclosed that is based on layer by layer deposit of the individual cell components (anode, electrolyte and the cathode) followed by a single heating cycle. However, as described in the process, for controlling the thickness of any particular component, thickness of each of the layers are needed to be checked after deposition and drying. This, in turn, implies that the process control of the disclosed process is very poor so that the numbers of layers to be deposited to achieve a particular thickness can not be predetermined and is a severe drawback of the process. Moreover, no performance data for the cell, thus fabricated, has been mentioned to substantiate the suitability of the disclosed process. Reference may also be made to the work of Min Fang Han, Hui Yan Yin, Wen Ting Miao and Su Zhou, Solid State Ionics, 179 (2008) , wherein NiO YSZ anode substrates in the planar anode supported solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) were prepared by tape calendaring process. Although a relatively high power density of 0.95 W/cm2 has been claimed to be obtained from the cells at 800 C, the process suffers from several drawbacks. Thus, in order to have large TPB at the electrolyte/anode interface, the NiO content of the active layer has been reduced by 20 wt% compared to the bulk anode causing differential electronic conductivity between the interface and the bulk that in turn, will enhance the area specific resistance (ASR) value of the cell. Also, during the fabrication of the anode supported half cell, as many as three numbers of sintering steps is required. Moreover, the cathode fabrication temperature (1200 C) is quite high and is a major drawback of the process. Reference may further be made to a recent Indian patent application no. 2583/DEL/2006 dated that discloses a process for the fabrication of anode supported SOFC in planar configuration that is based on development of porous anode supported half cell (NiO YSZ/ YSZ) of dimension up to 5 cm x 5 cm x 1.5 mm for square geometry or up to 5 cm diameter and 1.5 mm thickness for circular geometry using tape casting, room temperature lamination and single step cofiring technique followed by development of 40 to 60 µm of a porous LSM cathode layer over the YSZ electrolyte layer by screen printing and subsequent heat treatment at 1100 C to form the single cell. Although a reasonably high current density of ~ 1.0 A/cm2 at 800 C and 0.7 V has been obtained, the NiO content in the NiO YSZ anode is quite high (50 to 70 wt%) and is a major drawback due to reasons already mentioned. Moreover, as the NiO YSZ anode is formed by mechanical mixing (ball milling) of the individual solid oxides in the tape casting slurry, the distribution of the Ni in the ultimate cermet is not very uniform and may vary from batch to batch. Finally, in the Indian patent application no. 2583/DEL/2006, no attempt has been made to utilize functional layers at the electrode/electrolyte interfaces to extend the TPB length so as to improve the electrochemical performance. In summary the major drawbacks of the hitherto known processes as described herein above for the fabrication of anode supported SOFC single cells are: a. requirement of a high Ni content (> 35 vol%) in the Ni YSZ cermet anode b. inhomogeneous distribution of Ni and YSZ phases within the matrix of the cermet c. anode layer at the anode/electrolyte interface having lower electrical conductivity than the bulk anode d. large numbers of processing steps; e. long processing time; f. non uniformity in YSZ electrolyte layer; g. high processing temperature for fabrication of LSM cathode; h. complicated processing techniques used which are not suitable for commercial applications; i. low power density at the cell operating temperature of around 800 C unsuitable for any useful practical application. Hence, there is a definite need to provide a process for making anode supported planar solid oxide fuel cell which obviates the drawbacks of the hitherto known prior art as detailed herein above. Objects of the invention: The main object of the present invention is to provide an improved process for the preparation of planar anode supported solid oxide fuel cell using functional anode which obviates the drawbacks of the hitherto known prior art as detailed herein above. Another object of the present invention is to reduce the Ni content in the Ni YSZ anode of such anodesupported SOFC without compromising the electrical conductivity of the same. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a method for fabricating such anode supported SOFC in which the Ni distribution in the Ni YSZ anode is homogeneous and can be controlled to form a uniform coating of discrete Ni particles over YSZ thereby. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a method for fabricating such anode supported SOFC in which the electronic conductivity of the Ni YSZ anode is similar throughout in spite of having an extended triple phase boundary length at the 2/8

4 electrolyte/anode interface. Another object of the present invention is to reduce the number of processing steps by fabricating the half cell consisting of thin and gas tight YSZ electrolyte layer supported on a porous functional anode substrate in a single step. Yet another object of the present invention is to reduce the total processing time. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a method so that the YSZ electrolyte layer as well as the thickness of the Ni YSZ functional anode is uniform and can be controlled to any predetermined level. A further object of the present invention is to use a processing temperature of less than 1100 C during the fabrication of the LSM cathode so that no insulating phase such as lanthanum zirconate is formed at the electrolyte cathode interface A still further object of the present invention is to provide a process for the fabrication of anode supported planar SOFC single cells having significantly high current density at 0.7V at an operating temperature of 800 C using simple, cost effective and up scalable techniques, such as tape casting and screen printing. Summary of the invention: Accordingly, the present invention provides an improved process for the preparation of anode supported planar solid oxide fuel cell, wherein the said process comprising the steps of: (i) preparing powder of Ni YSZ( yttria stabilized zirconia) functional anode containing 15 to 35 vol% Ni, preferably 30 vol% by electroless technique; (ii) preparing slurries of Ni YSZ functional anode, NiO YSZ support and YSZ electrolyte by ball milling the respective powders for a period in the range of 35 to 60 hours using a two component organic vehicle consisting of toluene and ethanol as solvent, menhaden fish oil as dispersant, a porosity generator, polyvinyl butyral as binder and benzyl butyl phthalate as plasticizer; (iii) casting the respective slurries as obtained in step (ii) under doctor blade over flat surface; (iv) drying the cast slurries as obtained in step (iii) for 3 to 24 hours at a temperature range of C followed by cutting the dried tapes to 12 cm x 12 cm; (v) laminating together in the temperature range of C, 1 to 30 numbers of such Ni YSZ cut tapes embedded between 0 to 29 numbers of NiO YSZ tapes of same size at one end and one number of YSZ tape of same size on the other end in an uniaxial press to form a monolithic block; (vi) removing the organics from the green laminated monolithic block as obtained in step (v) by co firing in air at 1000 to 1100 C under a controlled heat treatment schedule for a period ranging between 3 to 6 hours with an intermediate dwell time of 3 hours each at 200 C to 250 C and 550 C to 600 C; (vii) sintering the pre sintered blocks as obtained in step (vi) at a temperature in the range of 1300 to 1450 C, preferably 1400 C for a period ranging between 4 to 8 hours to get SOFC half cell comprising thin and gas tight zirconia electrolyte layer well bonded to porous nickel oxide zirconia functional anode support; (viii) applying by screen printing a 10 to 20 urn thick layer of LSM (La(Sr)Mn03) YSZ (in 1:1 wt. ratio) composite cathode paste over 9 cm x 9cm area of the YSZ electrolyte of the half cell as obtained in step (vii); (ix) drying the screen printed cells as obtained in step (viii) at temperatures between 40 to 60 C for 1 to 2 hours to remove the solvents from the LSM YSZ paste; (x) applying by screen printing 50 to 70µm thick layer of LSM cathode current collector paste over the dried screen printed LSM cathode area as obtained in step (ix) at about 60 C for about 3 hrs; (xi) co firing the dried screen printed cells, as obtained in step (x) at temperatures between 1000 to 1050 C for a period of 2 to 4 hours in a controlled manner to obtain anode supported planer solid oxide fuel cells of dimension up to 10 cm x 10 cm x 1.5 mm. In an embodiment of the present invention, Ni YSZ functional anode powder is prepared by an electroless technique for which a redox bath containing 0.03 to 0.08 % (w/v) of stannous chloride and 0.01 to 0.05 % (w/v) of palladium chloride solution in water (ph 2.0 to 3.0) acidulated with hydrochloric acid is prepared first. 1 to 5 g YSZ powder is then added to 100 ml of the above prepared redox bath solution and subjected to high energy ultrasonification at an agitation frequency between 10 to 50 khz, preferably 20 khz for 30 to 60 minutes, preferably 45 minutes. The sensitized YSZ particulates, thus formed are then recovered by known methods such as decantation, filtration etc. followed by thorough washing with acidulated water (with in a ph range of 6.0 to 6.5) and drying at 100 C tol20 C. 6.1 g of such dried sensitized YSZ powder is then added to an electroless bath containing nickel nitrate solution corresponding to 30 vol% of Ni in the Ni YSZ cermet. The electroless bath is maintained at a ph range of 9.0 to 9.5 and at a temperature of C. The deposition of metallic Ni on the sensitized YSZ particulates in the electroless bath is carried out by drop wise addition of hydrazine hydrate of an amount ranging between ml having a concentration range of % of the chemical and is indicated by froth formation with change in colour of the YSZ from white to black. The Ni YSZ powder with 30 vol % Ni thus prepared is washed with distilled water and finally dried in oven at a temperature range of 100 C to 120 C for 12 to 15 hours. In another embodiment of the present invention, the yttria content in the yttria stabilized zirconia(ysz) is in the range of 8 to 10 mole%, preferably 8 mole%. In another embodiment of the present invention, the porosity generator used is selected from the group consisting of glucose, sucrose, starch, corn, graphite, and solid organic polymers such as poly vinyl butyral, poly vinyl alcohol and poly methyl methacrylate, preferably carbon. In another embodiment of the present invention, Ni YSZ functional anode powder slurry is prepared by mixing Ni YSZ functional anode powder with Ni content of 30 vol% to the first component of an organic vehicle containing toluene 40 to 55 wt %, ethanol 30 to 40 wt %, menhaden fish oil 3.5 to 4.5 wt % and carbon 5 to 25 wt % to obtain a mixed ingredient, milling all the mixed ingredients in a polypropylene bottle using zirconia grinding media for a period in the range 15 to 30 hours in a ball mill to obtain a milled slurry; adding second component of the organic vehicle containing benzyl butyl phthalate and poly vinyl butyral in a ratio in the range of 1.8:1 to 2.06:1 to the said milled slurry followed by ball milling for a period in the range 20 to 30 hours to obtain Ni YSZ slurry for tape casting; In another embodiment of the present invention, NiO YSZ support slurry is prepared by mixing NiO and YSZ in a ratio in the range of 50:50 to 70:30 wt% ratio to the first component of an organic vehicle containing toluene 40 to 45 wt %, ethanol 25 to 30 wt %, menhaden fish oil 3.5 to 4.5 wt % and carbon 20 to 30 wt % to obtain a mixed ingredient, milling all the mixed ingredients in a polypropylene bottle using zirconia grinding media for a period in the range 15 to 30 hours in a ball mill to obtain a milled slurry; adding second component of the organic vehicle containing benzyl butyl phthalate and poly vinyl butyral in a ratio in the range of 1.8:1 to 2.0:1 to the said milled slurry followed by ball milling for a period in the range 20 to 30 hours to obtain NiO YSZ slurry for tape casting. In another embodiment of the present invention, the YSZ slurry is prepared by mixing YSZ powder to the first component of organic vehicle containing toluene 50 to 55 wt %, ethanol 40 to 45 wt % and menhaden fish oil 3.5to 4.5 wt % to obtain a mixed ingredient, milling all the mixed ingredients in a polypropylene bottle using zirconia grinding media for a period in the range of 20 to 30 hours in a ball mill to obtain a milled slurry, adding second component of the organic vehicle containing benzyl butyl phthalate and poly vinyl butyral in 1.8:1 to 2.1:1 ratio to the milled slurry followed by ball milling for a period in the range of 20 to 30 hours so as to obtain YSZ slurry for tape casting. In another embodiment of the present invention, the thickness of the LSM YSZ cathode layer after heat treatment is in the range of 8 to 15µm, preferably kept at 10 µm. In another embodiment of the present invention, the thickness of the LSM cathode current collector layer after heat treatment is in the range of 40 to 65 µm, preferably kept at 5 5 urn. In another embodiment of the present invention, planar anode supported solid oxide fuel cell using functional anode show current density in the range of A/cm2 at 800 C and 0.7 V from the single cell. Brief description of the drawing Fig.l. Field emission scanning electron micrograph of conventional Ni YSZ cermet: a) anode microstructure b) elemental mapping Ni distribution in the cermet Fig.2. Field emission scanning electron micrograph of functional Ni YSZ cermet: a) anode microstructure b) elemental mapping Ni distribution in the cermet Fig.3. Optical micrograph of a typical single cell having functional anode fabricated under the present investigation 3/8

5 Detailed description of the invention The process steps of the present invention for making anode supported planar solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) are: (i) preparing powder of Ni YSZ functional anode containing 15 to 35 vol% Ni by electroless technique with a controlled and uniform coating of Ni particles over YSZ; (ii) preparing slurries of Ni YSZ functional anode, NiO YSZ support and YSZ electrolyte by ball milling the respective powders for a period in the range of 35 to 60 hours using a two component organic vehicle consisting of toluene and ethanol as solvent, menhaden fish oil as dispersant, carbon as porosity generator, polyvinyl butyral as binder and benzyl butyl phthalate as plasticizer; (iii) casting the respective slurries so obtained under doctor blade over flat surface; (iv) drying the cast slurries for 3 to 24 hours under ambient condition; (v) cutting the dried tapes to 12 cm x 12 cm; (vi) laminating together at room temperature 1 to 30 numbers of such Ni YSZ cut tapes embedded between 0 to 29 numbers of NiO YSZ tapes of same size at one end and one number of YSZ tape of same size on the other end in an uniaxial press to form a monolithic block; (vii) removing the organics from the green laminated monolithic block by co firing in air at 1000 to 1100 C under a controlled heat treatment schedule; (viii) sintering the pre sintered blocks, thus obtained, at a temperature in the range of 1300 to 1450 C to get SOFC half cell comprising thin and gas tight zirconia electrolyte layer well bonded to porous nickel oxidezirconia functional anode support; (ix) applying by screen printing a 10 to 20 urn thick layer of LSM YSZ (in 1:1 wt. ratio) composite cathode paste over 9 cm x 9cm area of the YSZ electrolyte of the half cell thus formed; (x) drying the screen printed cells, thus obtained, at temperatures between 40 to 60 C for 1 to 2 hours to remove the solvents from the LSM YSZ paste; (xi) applying by screen printing 50 to 70µm thick layer of LSM cathode current collector paste over the dried screen printed cathode area; (xii) co firing the dried screen printed cells, as obtained above, at temperatures between 1000 to 1050 C for a period of 2 to 4 hours in a controlled manner to obtain anode supported planer solid oxide fuel cells of dimension up to 10 cm x 10 cm x 1.5 mm. In the present invention there is provided a process for making planar anode supported solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC). The novelty of the present invention resides in providing a cost effective product of better performance compared to what is available. The novelty is realized by the non obvious inventive steps of the process of the present invention, wherein the Ni distribution in the Ni YSZ functional anode is homogeneous and can be controlled to form a uniform coating of discrete Ni particles over YSZ which is more advantageous compared to prior art processes where the Ni in the Ni YSZ anode is dispersed within the YSZ matrix causing poor homogeneity in Ni distribution( Fig 1 and Fig. 2). Moreover, the microstructure of the functional anode is such that it has an extended TPB length at the anode/electrolyte interface (thereby providing better electrocatalytic activity) and a higher electrical conductivity at a lower Ni content (thereby providing better thermal compatibility with the YSZ electrolyte) compared to prior art processes ( Table 1). Also, multiple layers of green ceramic tapes, consisting of such Ni YSZ functional anode, NiO YSZ support and YSZ electrolyte, can be laminated together at room temperature which is more advantageous compared to prior art processes where an elevated temperature is required to laminate such green ceramic tapes. Moreover, the green laminated block comprising NiO YSZ support and/or Ni YSZ functional anode layers laminated together with a top layer of YSZ can be co fired at elevated temperatures thereby reducing the processing steps and time In addition, the LSM YSZ composite cathode layer and the LSM cathode current collector layer can be co fired at a temperature as low as 1000 C which is lower than the prior art processes. The final product is a planar anode supported SOFC of dimension up to 10 cm x 10 cm x 1.5 mm that comprises a novel Ni YSZ functional cermet anode which is well bonded to a µm thin and gas tight YSZ electrolyte layer that, in turn, has successive adherent layers of semi porous LSM YSZ cathode (8 15 µm) and porous LSM cathode current collector (40 70 µm) on top (Fig 3). (Table Removed) The novelty of the present invention lies in obtaining a cost effective planar anode supported solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) of better performance compared to hitherto known prior art. This has been realized by the following non obvious inventive steps with respect to the prior art: 1. Laminating together at room temperature 1 to 30 numbers of green cut tapes of such Ni YSZ functional anode (that may or may not provide the structural support) having coated Ni, 0 to 29 numbers of NiO YSZ anode support tapes of same size 2. Co firing of dried cells screen printed with successive layers of LSM YSZ composite cathode paste and LSM cathode current collector paste at temperatures between 1000 to 1050 C to obtain anode supported planer solid oxide fuel cells of dimension up to 10 cm x 10 cm x 1.5 mm having an active area of 81 cm. The following examples are given by way of illustration of the working of the invention in actual practice and should not be construed to limit the scope of the present invention. Example % (w/v) of stannous chloride and % (w/v) of palladium chloride solution in water (ph 2.0) acidulated with hydrochloric acid is prepared first. 1.5 g YSZ powder is then added to 100 ml of the above prepared redox bath solution and subjected to high energy ultrasonification at an agitation frequency at 30 khz, for 30 minutes. The sensitized YSZ particulates, thus formed are then recovered by known methods such as decantation, filtration etc. followed by thorough washing with acidulated water (ph 6.0) and drying at 100 C. 3.0 g of such dried sensitized YSZ powder is then added to an electroless bath containing nickel nitrate solution corresponding to 30 vol% of Ni in the Ni YSZ cermet. The electroless bath is maintained at a ph of 9.0 and at a temperature of 90 C. The deposition of metallic Ni on the sensitized YSZ particulates in the electroless bath is carried out by drop wise addition of hydrazine hydrate and is indicated by froth formation with change in colour of the YSZ from white to black. The Ni YSZ powder with 30 vol % Ni thus prepared is washed with distilled water and finally dried in oven at 100 C for 12 h g of nickel yttria stabilized zirconia (Ni YSZ) functional anode powder was added to g of the first component of the organic vehicle containing 44 wt % toluene and 30 wt % ethanol as solvents, 3.5 wt % menhaden fish oil as dispersant and 22.5 wt % carbon as porosity generator and milled for 24 hours. To the slurry, thus formed, g of the second component of the organic vehicle containing benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP) plasticizer and poly vinyl butyral (PVB) binder in a ratio of 2.00:1 was added and milled for another 24 hours. The Ni YSZ slurry obtained was cast over a flat surface under a doctor blade. The cast Ni YSZ slurry was dried in air at 25 C for a period of 6 hours so as to obtain green tape of Ni YSZ of thickness 0.08 ± 0.01 mm. Similarly, g of YSZ was added to g of the first component of the organic vehicle containing 54 wt % toluene and 42 wt % ethanol as solvents, 4.0 wt % menhaden fish oil as dispersant and milled for 24 hours. To the slurry, thus formed, g of the second component of the organic vehicle containing benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP) plasticizer and poly vinyl butyral (PVB) binder in a ratio of 2.06:1 was added and milled for further 24 hours. The YSZ slurry obtained was cast over a flat surface under a doctor blade. The cast YSZ slurry was dried in air at 25 C for a period of 4 hours so as to obtain green tape of thickness ± mm. The dried and green tapes of Ni YSZ as well as YSZ were cut to 12 cm x 12 cm size and 18 numbers of such Ni YSZ cut tapes were stacked and laminated together with one number of YSZ tape on top using a uniaxial press so as to obtain a monolithic block. The monolithic block consisting of Ni YSZ and YSZ, thus formed, was then co fired at 1100 C following a controlled heat treatment schedule with 3 hours dwell time each at 200 C and 550 C respectively to remove the organics completely. The pre sintered block was finally sintered at 1400 C to get a porous functional anode supported SOFC half cell. A 15µm thick layer of La0.65Sr0.3MnO3 8mol% yttria stabilized zirconia (LSM YSZ) composite cathode paste was then applied over 9 cm x 9 cm area of the YSZ electrolyte of the half cell, thus formed, dried at 60 C for 2 hours followed by further application of a 70 µm thick paste of LSM cathode current collector paste over the LSM cathode and drying at 60 C for 3 h. Finally the whole assembly is co fired in a controlled manner at 1025 C 4/8

6 for 2 hours. A functional anode supported solid oxide fuel cell of dimension 10 cm x 10 cm x 1.25 mm having a 15 µm gas tight YSZ electrolyte, 10 µm LSM YSZ cathode layer and 55µm porous LSM cathode current collector layer is obtained. The cell, thus fabricated, gives a current density of 1.4 A/cm2 at an operating temperature of 800 C and a cell voltage of 0.7V. Example % (w/v) of stannous chloride and % (w/v) of palladium chloride solution in water (ph 2.0) acidulated with hydrochloric acid is prepared first. 2.0 g YSZ powder is then added to 100 ml of the above prepared redox bath solution and subjected to high energy ultrasonification at an agitation frequency of 40 khz for 40 minutes. The sensitized YSZ particulates, thus formed are then recovered by known methods such as decantation, filtration etc. followed by thorough washing with acidulated water (ph 6.0) and drying at 100 C. 4.0 g of such dried sensitized YSZ powder is then added to an electroless bath containing nickel nitrate solution corresponding to 30 vol% of Ni in the Ni YSZ cermet. The electroless bath is maintained at a ph of 9.0 and at a temperature of 90 C. The deposition of metallic Ni on the sensitized YSZ particulates in the electroless bath is carried out by drop wise addition of hydrazine hydrate and is indicated by froth formation with change in colour of the YSZ from white to black. The Ni YSZ powder with 30 vol % Ni thus prepared is washed with distilled water and finally dried in oven at 100 C for 12 h g of Ni YSZ functional anode powder was added to g of the first component of the organic vehicle containing 43 wt % toluene and 30 wt % ethanol as solvents, 3.5 wt % menhaden fish oil as dispersant and 23.5 wt % carbon as porosity generator and milled for 24 hours. To the slurry, thus formed, g of the second component of the organic vehicle containing benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP) plasticizer and poly vinyl butyral (PVB) binder in a ratio of 2.00:1 was added and milled for another 24 hours. The Ni YSZ slurry obtained was cast over a flat surface under a doctor blade. The cast Ni YSZ slurry was dried in air at 25 C for a period of 6 hours so as to obtain green tape of Ni YSZ of thickness 0.08 ± 0.01 mm. Similarly, g of NiO and g of YSZ was added to g of the first component of the organic vehicle containing 43 wt % toluene and 29 wt % ethanol as solvents, 4 wt % menhaden fish oil as dispersant and 24 wt % carbon as porosity generator and milled for 24 hours. To the slurry, thus formed, g of the second component of the organic vehicle containing benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP) plasticizer and poly vinyl butyral (PVB) binder in a ratio of 1.93:1 was added and milled for another 24 hours. The NiO YSZ slurry obtained was cast over a flat surface under a doctor blade. The cast NiO YSZ slurry was dried in air at 25 C for a period of 6 hours so as to obtain green tape of NiO YSZ of thickness 0.08 ± 0.01 mm. Also, g of YSZ was added to g of the first component of the organic vehicle containing 54 wt % toluene and 42 wt % ethanol as solvents, 4.0 wt % menhaden fish oil as dispersant and milled for 24 hours. To the slurry, thus formed, g of the second component of the organic vehicle containing benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP) plasticizer and poly vinyl butyral (PVB) binder in a ratio of 2.06:1 was added and milled for another 24 hours. The YSZ slurry obtained was cast over a flat surface under a doctor blade. The cast YSZ slurry was dried in air at 25 C for a period of 4 hours so as to obtain green tape of thickness ± mm. The dried and green tapes of Ni YSZ, NiO YSZ as well as YSZ were cut to 12 cm x 12 cm size and 18 numbers of such NiO YSZ cut tapes were stacked and laminated together with one number each of Ni YSZ and YSZ tapes, the later being on top using a uniaxial press so as to obtain a monolithic block. The monolithic block consisting of NiO YSZ, Ni YSZ and YSZ, thus formed, was then co fired at 1100 C following a controlled heat treatment schedule with 3 hours dwell time each at 200 C and 550 C respectively to remove the organics completely. The pre sintered block was finally sintered at 1400 C to get a porous anode supported SOFC half cell having a functional anode. A 15 urn thick layer of Lao.65Sro.3Mn03 8mol%yttria stabilized zirconia (LSM YSZ) composite cathode paste was then applied over 9 cm x 9 cm area of the YSZ electrolyte of the half cell, thus formed, dried at 60 C for 2 hours followed by further application of a 70 µm thick paste of LSM cathode current collector paste over the LSM cathode and drying at 60 C for 3 h. Finally the whole assembly is cofired in a controlled manner at 1050 C for 2 hours. An anode supported solid oxide fuel cell of dimension 10 cm x 10 cm x 1.5 mm with a 50µm functional anode, 15 µm gas tight YSZ electrolyte, 10 µm LSM YSZ cathode layer and 55µm porous LSM cathode current collector layer is obtained. The cell, thus fabricated, gives a current density of 2.2 A/cm2 at an operating temperature of 800 C and a cell voltage of 0.7V. Example % (w/v) of stannous chloride and 0.04 % (w/v) of palladium chloride solution in water (ph 2.0) acidulated with hydrochloric acid is prepared first g YSZ powder is then added to 100 ml of the above prepared redox bath solution and subjected to high energy ultrasonification at an agitation frequency of 40 khz for 40 minutes. The sensitized YSZ particulates, thus formed are then recovered by known methods such as decantation, filtration etc. followed by thorough washing with acidulated water (ph 6.0) and drying at 100 C. 5.0 g of such dried sensitized YSZ powder is then added to an electroless bath containing nickel nitrate solution corresponding to 30 vol% of Ni in the Ni YSZ cermet. The electroless bath is maintained at a ph of 9.0 and a temperature of 100 C. The deposition of metallic Ni on the sensitized YSZ particulates in the electroless bath is carried out by drop wise addition of hydrazine hydrate and is indicated by froth formation with change in colour of the YSZ from white to black. The Ni YSZ powder with 30 vol % Ni thus prepared is washed with distilled water and finally dried in oven at 100 C for 12 h g of Ni YSZ functional anode powder was added to g of the first component of the organic vehicle containing 43 wt % toluene and 30 wt % ethanol as solvents, 3.5 wt % menhaden fish oil as dispersant and 23.5 wt % carbon as porosity generator and milled for 24 hours. To the slurry, thus formed, g of the second component of the organic vehicle containing benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP) plasticizer and poly vinyl butyral (PVB) binder in a ratio of 2.00:1 was added and milled for another 24 hours. The Ni YSZ slurry obtained was cast over a flat surface under a doctor blade. The cast Ni YSZ slurry was dried in air at 25 C for a period of 6 hours so as to obtain green tape of Ni YSZ of thickness 0.08 ± 0.01 mm. Similarly, g of NiO and g of YSZ was added to g of the first component of the organic vehicle containing 43 wt % toluene and 29 wt % ethanol as solvents, 4 wt % menhaden fish oil as dispersant and 24 wt % carbon as porosity generator and milled for 24 hours. To the slurry, thus formed, g of the second component of the organic vehicle containing benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP) plasticizer and poly vinyl butyral (PVB) binder in a ratio of 1.93:1 was added and milled for another 24 hours. The NiO YSZ slurry obtained was cast over a flat surface under a doctor blade. The cast NiO YSZ slurry was dried in air at 25 C for a period of 6 hours so as to obtain green tape of NiO YSZ of thickness 0.08 ± 0.01 mm. Also, g of YSZ was added to g of the first component of the organic vehicle containing 54 wt % toluene and 42 wt % ethanol as solvents, 4.0 wt % menhaden fish oil as dispersant and milled for 24 hours. To the slurry, thus formed, g of the second component of the organic vehicle containing benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP) plasticizer and poly vinyl butyral (PVB) binder in a ratio of 2.06:1 was added and milled for another 24 hours. The YSZ slurry obtained was cast over a flat surface under a doctor blade. The cast YSZ slurry was dried in air at 25 C for a period of 4 hours so as to obtain green tape of thickness ± mm. The dried and green tapes of Ni YSZ, NiO YSZ as well as YSZ were cut to 12 cm x 12 cm size and 17 numbers of such NiO YSZ cut tapes were stacked and laminated together with 2 numbers of Ni YSZ tape and one number of YSZ tape, the later being on top using a uniaxial press so as to obtain a monolithic block. The monolithic block consisting of NiO YSZ and YSZ, thus formed, was then co fired at 1100 C following a controlled heattreatment schedule with 3 hours dwell time each at 200 C and 550 C respectively to remove the organics completely. The pre sintered block was finally sintered at 1400 C to get a porous anode supported SOFC half cell having a functional anode. A 15 µm thick layer of La0.65Sr0.3MnO3 8mol% yttria stabilized zirconia (LSM YSZ)composite cathode paste was then applied over 9 cm x 9 cm area of the YSZ electrolyte of the half cell, thus formed, dried at 60 C for 2 hours followed by further application of a 70 µm thick paste of LSM cathode current collector paste over the LSM cathode and drying at 60 C for 3 h. Finally the whole assembly is co fired in a controlled manner at 1050 C for 2 hours. An anode supported solid oxide fuel cell of dimension 10 cm x 10 cm x 1.5 mm with a 100µm functional anode, 15 µm gas tight YSZ electrolyte, 10 µm LSM YSZ cathode layer and 55µm porous LSM cathode current collector layer is obtained. The cell, thus fabricated, gives a current density of 1.8 A/cm2 at an operating temperature of 800 C and a cell voltage of 5/8

7 0.7V. Example % (w/v) of stannous chloride and 0.05 % (w/v) of palladium chloride solution in water (ph 2.0) acidulated with hydrochloric acid is prepared first g YSZ powder is then added to 100 ml of the above prepared redox bath solution and subjected to high energy ultrasonification at an agitation frequency of 50 khz for 40 minutes. The sensitized YSZ particulates, thus formed are then recovered by known methods such as decantation, filtration etc. followed by thorough washing with acidulated water (ph 6.0) and drying at 100 C. 5.5 g of such dried sensitized YSZ powder is then added to an electroless bath containing nickel nitrate solution corresponding to 30 vol% of Ni in the Ni YSZ cermet. The electroless bath is maintained at a ph of 9.0 and at a temperature of 100 C. The deposition of metallic Ni on the sensitized YSZ particulates in the electroless bath is carried out by drop wise addition of hydrazine hydrate and is indicated by froth formation with change in colour of the YSZ from white to black. The Ni YSZ powder with 30 vol % Ni thus prepared is washed with distilled water and finally dried in oven at 100 C for 12 h g of Ni YSZ functional anode powder was added to g of the first component of the organic vehicle containing 43 wt % toluene and 30 wt % ethanol as solvents, 3.5 wt % menhaden fish oil as dispersant and 23.5 wt % carbon as porosity generator and milled for 24 hours. To the slurry, thus formed, g of the second component of the organic vehicle containing benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP) plasticizer and poly vinyl butyral (PVB) binder in a ratio of 2.00:1 was added and milled for another 24 hours. The Ni YSZ slurry obtained was cast over a flat surface under a doctor blade. The cast Ni YSZ slurry was dried in air at 25 C for a period of 6 hours so as to obtain green tape of Ni YSZ of thickness 0.08 ± 0.01 mm. Similarly, g of NiO and g of YSZ was added to g of the first component of the organic vehicle containing 43 wt % toluene and 29 wt % ethanol as solvents, 4 wt % menhaden fish oil as dispersant and 24 wt % carbon as porosity generator and milled for 24 hours. To the slurry, thus formed, g of the second component of the organic vehicle containing benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP) plasticizer and poly vinyl butyral (PVB) binder in a ratio of 1.93:1 was added and milled for another 24 hours. The NiO YSZ slurry obtained was cast over a flat surface under a doctor blade. The cast NiO YSZ slurry was dried in air at 25 C for a period of 6 hours so as to obtain green tape of NiO YSZ of thickness 0.08 ± 0.01 mm. Also, g of YSZ was added to g of the first component of the organic vehicle containing 54 wt % toluene and 42 wt % ethanol as solvents, 4.0 wt % menhaden fish oil as dispersant and milled for 24 hours. To the slurry, thus formed, g of the second component of the organic vehicle containing benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP) plasticizer and poly vinyl butyral (PVB) binder in a ratio of 2.06:1 was added and milled for another 24 hours. The YSZ slurry obtained was cast over a flat surface under a doctor blade. The cast YSZ slurry was dried in air at 25 C for a period of 4 hours so as to obtain green tape of thickness ± mm. The dried and green tapes of Ni YSZ, NiO YSZ as well as YSZ were cut to 12 cm x 12 cm size and 20 numbers of such NiO YSZ cut tapes were stacked and laminated together with one number each of Ni YSZ and YSZ tapes, the later being on top using a uniaxial press so as to obtain a monolithic block. The monolithic block consisting of NiO YSZ and YSZ, thus formed, was then co fired at 1100 C following a controlled heat treatment schedule with 3 hours dwell time each at 200 C and 550 C respectively to remove the organics completely. The pre sintered block was finally sintered at 1350 C to get a porous anodesupported SOFC half cell having a functional anode. A 15 µm thick layer of La0.65Sr0.3MnO3 8mol% yttria stabilized zirconia (LSM YSZ) composite cathode paste was then applied over 9 cm x 9 cm area of the YSZ electrolyte of the half cell, thus formed, dried at 60 C for 2 hours followed by further application of a 70 µm thick paste of LSM cathode current collector paste over the LSM cathode and drying at 60 C for 3 h. Finally the whole assembly is co fired in a controlled manner at 1050 C for 2 hours. An anode supported solid oxide fuel cell of dimension 10 cm x 10 cm x 1.5 mm with a 15 µm functional anode, 15 µm gas tight YSZ electrolyte, 10 µm LSM YSZ cathode layer and 55 µm porous LSM cathode current collector layer is obtained. The cell, thus fabricated, gives a current density of 2.3 A/cm2 at an operating temperature of 800 C and a cell voltage of 0.7V. Example % (w/v) of stannous chloride and 0.05 % (w/v) of palladium chloride solution in water (ph 2.0) acidulated with hydrochloric acid is prepared first. 3.0 g YSZ powder is then added to 100 ml of the above prepared redox bath solution and subjected to high energy ultrasonification at an agitation frequency of 50 khz for 50 minutes. The sensitized YSZ particulates, thus formed are then recovered by known methods such as decantation, filtration etc. followed by thorough washing with acidulated water (ph 6.0) and drying at 100 C. 6.0 g of such dried sensitized YSZ powder is then added to an electroless bath containing nickel nitrate solution corresponding to 30 vol% of Ni in the Ni YSZ cermet. The electroless bath is maintained at a ph of 9.0 and at a temperature of 1000C. The deposition of metallic Ni on the sensitized YSZ particulates in the electroless bath is carried out by drop wise addition of hydrazine hydrate and is indicated by froth formation with change in colour of the YSZ from white to black. The Ni YSZ powder with 30 vol % Ni thus prepared is washed with distilled water and finally dried in oven at 100 C for 12 h g of Ni YSZ functional anode powder was added to g of the first component of the organic vehicle containing 45 wt % toluene and 35 wt % ethanol as solvents, 3.8 wt % menhaden fish oil as dispersant and 8.2 wt % carbon as porosity generator and milled for 24 hours. To the slurry, thus formed, 9.10 g of the second component of the organic vehicle containing benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP) plasticizer and poly vinyl butyral (PVB) binder in a ratio of 2.03:1 was added and milled for another 24 hours. The Ni YSZ slurry obtained was cast over a flat surface under a doctor blade. The cast Ni YSZ slurry was dried in air at 25 C for a period of 6 hours so as to obtain green tape of Ni YSZ of thickness ± mm. Similarly, g of NiO and g of YSZ was added to g of the first component of the organic vehicle containing 43 wt % toluene and 29 wt % ethanol as solvents, 4 wt % menhaden fish oil as dispersant and 24 wt % carbon as porosity generator and milled for 24 hours. To the slurry, thus formed, g of the second component of the organic vehicle containing benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP) plasticizer and poly vinyl butyral (PVB) binder in a ratio of 1.93:1 was added and milled for another 24 hours. The NiO YSZ slurry obtained was cast over a flat surface under a doctor blade. The cast NiO YSZ slurry was dried in air at 25 C for a period of 6 hours so as to obtain green tape of NiO YSZ of thickness 0.08 ± 0.01 mm. Also, g of YSZ was added to g of the first component of the organic vehicle containing 54 wt % toluene and 42 wt % ethanol as solvents, 4.0 wt % menhaden fish oil as dispersant and milled for 24 hours. To the slurry, thus formed, g of the second component of the organic vehicle containing benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP) plasticizer and poly vinyl butyral (PVB) binder in a ratio of 2.06:1 and milled for 24 hours. The YSZ slurry obtained was cast over a flat surface under a doctor blade. The cast YSZ slurry was dried in air at 25 C for a period of 4 hours so as to obtain green tape of thickness ± mm. The dried and green tapes of Ni YSZ, NiO YSZ as well as YSZ were cut to 12 cm x 12 cm size and 20 numbers of such NiO YSZ cut tapes were stacked and laminated together with one number each of Ni YSZ and YSZ tapes, the later being on top using a uniaxial press so as to obtain a monolithic block. The monolithic block consisting of NiO YSZ and YSZ, thus formed, was then co fired at 1100 C following a controlled heat treatment schedule with 3 hours dwell time each at 200 C and 550 C respectively to remove the organics completely. The presintered block was finally sintered at 1400 C to get a porous anode supported SOFC half cell having a functional anode. A 15 µm thick layer of La0.65Sr0.3MnO3 8mol% yttria stabilized zirconia (LSM YSZ) composite cathode paste was then applied over 9 cm x 9 cm area of the YSZ electrolyte of the half cell, thus formed, dried at 60 C for 2 hours followed by further application of a 70 µm thick paste of LSM cathode current collector paste over the LSM cathode and drying at 60 C for 3 h. Finally the whole assembly is cofired in a controlled manner at 1050 C for 2 hours. An anode supported solid oxide fuel cell of dimension 10 cm x 10 cm x 1.5 mm with a 15 µm functional anode, 15 µm gas tight YSZ electrolyte, 10 µm LSM YSZ cathode layer and 55µm porous LSM cathode current collector layer is obtained. The cell, thus fabricated, gives a current density of 3.5 A/cm2 at an operating temperature of 800 C and a cell voltage of 0.7V. The main advantages of the process of the present invention for making planar anode supported solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) using functional anode are: 1. An anode supported planar solid oxide fuel cell can be fabricated where the Ni YSZ functional anode can be used both as a functional layer and as the support structure, yet having comparable or better performance 6/8