(308a) An Update on Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Research

Most Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC) and Solid Oxide Electrolyzers (SOE) are based on electrolytes that are oxygen-ion conductors, which means that SOFC can theoretically operate on any combustible fuel, including methane, other hydrocarbons, and even solid carbon. Likewise, electrolysis of CO₂ to CO is theoretically feasible in an SOE. Furthermore, the relatively high temperatures associated with SOFC operation couple well with standard, hydrocarbon reforming technologies and allow for the production of syngas (a mixture of CO and H₂), without requiring the use of precious-metal catalysts.

However, while commercial-scale SOFC and SOE are coming on line, research is continuing in order to improve the performance and stability of the cells, to enable lower operating temperatures for some applications, and to allow the use of electrochemical cells in other applications such as membrane reactors. In this lecture, I will review the working principles behind SOFC and SOE and list some of the commercial successes. I will then discuss some of the remaining problems, along with important results aimed at addressing these problems. Finally, some new areas of research, including work on proton-conducting ceramics, will be outlined.