Dan Brett Discusses Advancing IT-SOFC Technology
Fast Moving Front Commentary, September 2010
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Article: Intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells
Authors: Brett, DJL;Atkinson, A;Brandon,
NP;Skinner, SJ |
Dan Brett talks with ScienceWatch.com and answers a few questions about this month's Fast Moving Fronts paper in the field of Chemistry.
Why do you think your paper is highly
cited?
Reducing the operating temperature of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), while maintaining comparable performance with conventional high-temperature systems, affords several important advantages, including: lower cost materials of construction, an enhanced range of applications, and improved durability and lifetime.
The use of so-called intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells (IT-SOFCs) are seen to be particularly suitable for micro combined heat and power (micro-CHP) in homes, an area that has huge market potential and scope for CO2 reductions.
Does it describe a new discovery, methodology, or
synthesis of knowledge?
The paper reviews the developments in materials and engineering designs that are advancing IT-SOFC technology as well as looking at the application space for this class of fuel cell.
Would you summarize the significance of your paper
in layman's terms?
"Fuel cells are a very promising alternative energy conversion technology with applications ranging from mobile phones, through vehicle prime movers to megawatt distributed power generation."
Fuel cells are electrochemical energy conversion devices that convert the chemical energy in fuel directly into electricity and heat with a much higher electrical efficiency than can be achieved from heat engines. There are various fuel cell types, each employing their own materials set, and operating over a temperature range up to ~1000 °C.
A particular class of fuel cell, called the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) that usually operates in excess of 800 °C, can impart many cost and operational advantages if the temperature can be lowered into the so-called "intermediate temperature" range of 500-750 °C. This paper describes the development of this class of fuel cell and reviews the novel materials and design concepts being employed to make it a marketable technology.
How did you become involved in this research, and
how would you describe the particular challenges, setbacks, and
successes that you've encountered along the way?
After coming from a background in fundamental electrochemistry, I have been active in the area of fuel cell science since 2000, performing my research at Imperial College and UCL in the UK. Imperial College has a long history of fuel cell development and much of the IT-SOFC work that goes on there today is a consequence of the pioneering work by the late Professor Brian Steel.
My co-authors, Atkinson, Brandon, and Skinner, are all highly active in SOFC development, their research encompassing fundamental materials research to engineering demonstration and commercialization of fuel cell technology.
I see the main challenges in fuel cell research involving the understanding of processes that define performance and durability. The highly coupled physical and chemical processes in a fuel cell and the range of advanced materials involved make this particularly difficult. Setbacks often occur when initially promising materials do not work well together with other materials or the operational environment of a fuel cell.
Turning performance targets into performance reality and seeing novel fuel cell designs, materials, systems, and methods of analysis become a reality are amongst the most rewarding aspects of our research.
Where do you see your research leading in the
future?
I am particularly interested in developing new techniques to examine the internal workings of fuel cells. I believe that the ability to map operational parameters within working fuel cells holds the key to designing better devices and optimizing the materials and operating conditions employed. Increasing the range and resolution of parameters that can be studied in the demanding environment of an SOFC is the major challenge of this work.
Do you foresee any social or political
implications for your research?
Fuel cells are a very promising alternative energy conversion technology with applications ranging from mobile phones, through vehicle prime movers to megawatt distributed power generation.
Advances made in IT-SOFCs are particularly relevant to the development of
micro combined heat and power for the residential sector. A fuel cell
(power plant) in every home would transform the way we interact with the
electricity grid. The consequence would be a more robust energy network and
a significant reduction in the CO2 emissions from the residential sector.
The societal, economic, and political implications would therefore be
considerable.
Dr. Dan Brett
Senior Lecturer
The Centre for CO2 Technology
Department of Chemical Engineering
UCL
London, UK
KEYWORDS: ANODE MATERIALS; ION CONDUCTORS; ZEBRA BATTERY; ELECTROLYTES; TECHNOLOGY; CERIA; TRANSPORT; CATHODES; SYSTEMS.