Advanced SOFC technologies for low carbon, energy efficient and affordable power
Lead Research Organisation:
Imperial College London
Department Name: Materials
Abstract
Solid oxide fuel cells have the potential to greatly reduce carbon emissions in electricity generation because of their high conversion efficiency and suitability for distributed generation. Overall, this project will target the critical fuel cell issues of system cost and lifetime, including cell and stack cost, power density and affordability. The research will focus on the design, development and validation of novel components, sub-systems and integrated systems for RRFCS's initial system, a 1MW SOFC stationary power generation unit. Imperial College will contribute by developing new low-cost materials and geometries that are fundamental to the realisation of competitive fuel cells and stacks. This will involve using theoretical modelling at the atomistic level to identify promising new materials with the appropriate electronic properties. These will be synthesised and characterised in detail and finally the most promising ones will be evaluated in the RRFCS fuel cell structure.
Organisations
- Imperial College London (Lead Research Organisation)
- ESL Europe (Collaboration, Project Partner)
- Scitek Consultants Ltd (Collaboration)
- MEL Chemicals Inc (Collaboration)
- Rolls Royce Group Plc (Collaboration)
- Rolls-Royce (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
- SCITEK Consultants (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
- Luxfer Group (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
Publications
A Atkinson
(2009)
Co-based materials for fuel cells
Berenov A
(2010)
Oxygen tracer diffusion and surface exchange kinetics in La0.6Sr0.4CoO3-d
in Solid State Ionics
S Mukhopadhyay
(2010)
DFT band structure calculations of LSC
Seeharaj P
(2011)
Mixed-conducting LSC/CGO composites for passive oxygen separation membranes
in Solid State Ionics
Seeharaj P
(2011)
Diffusion and conductivity of mixed-conducting Ag/CGO composites
in Solid State Ionics
Mukhopadhyay S
(2013)
Electronic structures and phonon free energies of LaCoO 3 using hybrid-exchange density functional theory
in Physical Review B
Description | New materials (both metallic and ceramic) were identified and evaluated for improving the performance of the Rolls-Royce solid oxide fuel cell. A theoretical quantum mechanical study of the ceramic material explained why this material is such a good electronic conductor. |
Exploitation Route | Generally useful basic science for other fuel cell developers. |
Sectors | Energy |
Description | The research has been used by RRFCS (now LGFCS) in developing their current collection technology employed in their current 250 kW fuel cell generator. |
First Year Of Impact | 2012 |
Sector | Energy |
Impact Types | Economic |
Description | ESL Europe |
Organisation | ESL Europe |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Private |
Start Year | 2007 |
Description | MEL Chemicals |
Organisation | MEL Chemicals Inc |
Country | United States |
Sector | Private |
Start Year | 2007 |
Description | Rolls-Royce Fuel Cell Systems Ltd |
Organisation | Rolls Royce Group Plc |
Department | Rolls-Royce Fuel Cell Systems Limited |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Private |
PI Contribution | Evaluation of new and existing materials for fuel cells |
Collaborator Contribution | Guidance for required improvements in performance and supply of materials and designs. |
Impact | Improvements to performance and reliability of fuel cell technology |
Start Year | 2007 |
Description | Scitek Consultants Ltd |
Organisation | Scitek Consultants Ltd |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Private |
Start Year | 2007 |