Modelling, optimisation and analysis of tubular high temperature solid oxide steam electrolysis cell.

High temperature solid oxide steam electrolysis (HTSOSE) is an efficient and ecologically-friendly method of hydrogen production through conversion of the water substance into hydrogen and oxygen, using the heat and electrical energy. The HT SOSE is outstanding for its efficiency due to: 1)use of heat energy; 2)use of solid materials which allows reducing the cell volume; 3)reduced production and operation costs. The SOSE technology has the most positive perspectives of integration with the existing power plants based on the nuclear or renewable energy, and also with aerospace technologies, where the excess heat and electricity is available as a by product

Modelling, optimisation and analysis of tubular high temperature solid oxide steam electrolysis cell.

Developing electrolyser cells with enhanced hydrogen production and their scalable manufacturing can play an important role in enabling not only eco-friendly development but also cost-effective, reliable, and sustainable opportunities. Thermomechanical assessments of expected deformations at high temperature bandwidth for two types of materials, used as a cell metal support were performed. Revealed changes to geometry, especially, at fixed-fixed conditions provide a basis to estimate the overall cell stability, optimise the fluid dynamics component and electrochemical performance

Techno-economic analysis of production of octane booster components derived from lignin

In this study, a comprehensive process for production of an environmentally friendly octane booster (acetophenone) from lignin is presented, along with a detailed techno-economic analysis. Recognizing that much of the prior research on octane boosters has been confined to experimental lab-level investigations, this study develops comprehensive process design to unravel the intricacies of large-scale acetophenone production. The acetophenone production process involves catalytic hydrogenolysis, which also yields phenol as a valuable side product. Based on the process flow diagram, mass and energy balances were developed, revealing significantly improved yields and purity of acetophenone compared to industry standards, reaching 0.74 kg acetophenone per kg of lignin and 99 wt%. In the techno-economic analysis, calculations involving fixed capital investment (FCI), operating costs, and working capital were conducted based on a feed of 100 kg/h of dry lignin. The results indicate FCI at 2.72 million USD, operating costs at 1.09 million USD per year, and working capital at 0.57 million USD. Assuming a 20-year operational lifespan, the payback period is estimated at 6.09 years, as depicted by the cumulative cash flow diagram. Moreover, techno-economic analysis demonstrates a net present value (NPV) of 3.24 million USD at a 10% discount rate, an internal rate of return (IRR) of 22.73%, and a return on investment (ROI) of 34.39%. These positive outcomes underscore the robust profitability of the proposed acetophenone production plant derived from lignin. Additionally, a sensitivity analysis on the IRR indicates that increasing the production capacity could further enhance profitability, reaffirming the feasibility of the plant’s operation. Crucially, this study highlights the potential for sustainable and economically viable production of acetophenone, offering an environmentally friendly alternative to toxic octane boosters and advancing the development of sustainable fuel additives. Graphical Abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.

Application of thermal spray coatings in electrolysers for hydrogen production: advances, challenges, and opportunities.

Thermal spray coatings have the advantage of providing thick and functional coatings from a range of engineering materials. The associated coating processes provide good control of coating thickness, morphology, microstructure, pore size and porosity, and residual strain in the coatings through selection of suitable process parameters for any coating material of interest. This review consolidates scarce literature on thermally sprayed components which are critical and vital constituents (e.g. catalysts (anode/cathode), solid electrolyte, and transport layer, including corrosion-prone parts such as bipolar plates) of the water splitting electrolysis process for hydrogen production. The research shows that there is a gap in thermally sprayed feedstock material selection strategy as well as in addressing modelling needs that can be crucial to advancing applications exploiting their catalytic and corrosion-resistant properties to split water for hydrogen production. Due to readily scalable production enabled by thermal spray techniques, this manufacturing route bears potential to dominate the sustainable electrolyser technologies in the future. While the well-established thermal spray coating variants may have certain limitations in the manner they are currently practiced, deployment of both conventional and novel thermal spray approaches (suspension, solution, hybrid) is clearly promising for targeted development of electrolysers

Special Issue “Emerging Materials and Fabrication Methods for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs)”

Nowadays, the ever-growing energy demands, the associated greenhouse gas emissions, and the exhaustible nature of fossil fuels are the biggest challenges of our industrial world [...

A Continuous Process for Sustainable Production of Hydrogen

The disclosure provides a method of producing hydrogen. The method comprises conducting a thermochemical reaction by contacting a metal, or an alloy thereof, with steam to produce a metal oxide and/or a metal hydroxide and hydrogen. The method then comprises contacting the metal oxide and/or the metal hydroxide produced in the thermochemical reaction with water or a basic aqueous solution to produce a solution comprising a metal ion. Finally, the method comprises conducting an electrochemical reaction by applying a voltage across an anode and a cathode, whereby at least a portion of the cathode contacts the solution comprising the metal ion, to produce hydrogen, oxygen and the metal, or the alloy thereof

Hydrogen Generator

The disclosure relates to an electrolysis cell for producinghydrogen . The cell comprises an electrolyte compartmentand an electrolyte disposed therein . The electrolyte comprises an aqueous alkaline solution comprising a transitionmetal ion or p block metal ion . The cell further comprisesfirst and second spaced apart electrodes at least partiallydisposed in the electrolyte

Influence of processing and fabrication parameters on microstructural properties of anode-supported solid oxide fuel cells

Power generation under environmentally friendlier and more efficient cycles has caused a great interest in alternative fuels and power sources. Currently, electrical power is mainly provided by traditional power generation cycles which generate air pollutant such as sulfur and noxious compounds. A solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) is an energy conversion device that has the potential to efficiently generate electricity in an environmentally-friendly manner. The SOFCs generally operate between 600°C and 1000°C by oxidizing hydrogen or other fuels using air as the oxidant. A typical anode-supported SOFC is made from a dense yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) electrolyte, a porous lanthanum strontium manganate cathode, and a porous nickel/YSZ cermet anode. Surveying the published works on SOFCs especially during the last couple of decades shows that the main challenges for anode-supported SOFCs are in finding suitable fabrication methods and in tailoring the desired microstructural properties. The aim of this research is to investigate both fabrication and microstructural properties of SOFC anodes in order to quantify the influential processing parameters using both experimental and modeling approaches. Controlling the rheological behavior of ceramic slurries is an important step in the casting process to achieve improved micro-structural properties. The rheological behavior of ceramic slurries containing nickel oxide (NiO)/YSZ was investigated in a colloidal casting method (so-called drying-free casting method) in order to study the effects of solid loading fraction and dispersant concentration on the viscosity of anode slurries. The drying-free casting method offers more flexibility in controlling the microstructure of ceramics and eliminates defects compared with conventional casting processes. A new viscosity correlation for ceramic suspensions was proposed to predict the relative viscosity data, showing excellent agreement with the experimental data from this study and with reported data in literature for other ceramic systems. In addition, microstructural features and functional properties of the anodes significantly affect the electrochemical performance of the anode-supported SOFCs. The SOFC anode characteristics and properties including porosity and pore size distribution, sintering shrinkage, mechanical strength, and electrical conductivity were investigated using an integrated experimental approach by adding carbon micro-spheres (CMSs) powders as the pore-former. The anode porosity was modeled to differentiate the impacts of processing parameters such as fabrication pressure (under uniaxial compaction condition), pore-former loading fraction, and particle size ratio. The results of this study can be used to interpret the physical basis of pore formation and also to assist in fabrication of SOFC porous ceramic substrates with desired microstructural characteristics. To evaluate the effect of anode microstructural properties on the cell electrochemical behavior, a number of anode-supported SOFCs were fabricated by depositing YSZ electrolyte thin film using electrophoretic deposition (EPD) and integrating LSM/YSZ cathode layer using slurry brush-painting method. The applied EPD technique was theoretically formulated and compared with the experimental results that showed a linear deposition behavior for YSZ especially at initial deposition period. The cell polarization behavior was also investigated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analysis over the fabricated NiO/YSZ-YSZ bi-layers. The results were used to determine the ohmic, polarization, and area specific resistance (ASR) behavior of the fabricated half cells. The SOFCs fabricated by controlling anode porosity to be in the range of 35% to 40% showed higher electrochemical performance

Catalytic Aspects of Fuel Cells: Overview and Insights

Heterogeneous catalysis plays a central role in the global energy paradigm, with practically all energy-related process relying on a catalyst at a certain point. The application of heterogeneous catalysts will be of paramount importance to achieve the transition towards low carbon and sustainable societies. This book provides an overview of the design, limitations and challenges of heterogeneous catalysts for energy applications. In an attempt to cover a broad spectrum of scenarios, the book considers traditional processes linked to fossil fuels such as reforming and hydrocracking, as well as catalysis for sustainable energy applications such as hydrogen production, photocatalysis, biomass upgrading and conversion of CO2 to clean fuels. Novel approaches in catalysts design are covered, including microchannel reactors and structured catalysts, catalytic membranes and ionic liquids. With contributions from leaders in the field, Heterogeneous Catalysis for Energy Applications will be an essential toolkit for chemists, physicists, chemical engineers and industrials working on energy

Progress in Material Development for Low-Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells: A Review

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) have been considered as promising candidates to tackle the need for sustainable and efficient energy conversion devices. However, the current operating temperature of SOFCs poses critical challenges relating to the costs of fabrication and materials selection. To overcome these issues, many attempts have been made by the SOFC research and manufacturing communities for lowering the operating temperature to intermediate ranges (600–800 °C) and even lower temperatures (below 600 °C). Despite the interesting success and technical advantages obtained with the low-temperature SOFC, on the other hand, the cell operation at low temperature could noticeably increase the electrolyte ohmic loss and the polarization losses of the electrode that cause a decrease in the overall cell performance and energy conversion efficiency. In addition, the electrolyte ionic conductivity exponentially decreases with a decrease in operating temperature based on the Arrhenius conduction equation for semiconductors. To address these challenges, a variety of materials and fabrication methods have been developed in the past few years which are the subject of this critical review. Therefore, this paper focuses on the recent advances in the development of new low-temperature SOFCs materials, especially low-temperature electrolytes and electrodes with improved electrochemical properties, as well as summarizing the matching current collectors and sealants for the low-temperature region. Different strategies for improving the cell efficiency, the impact of operating variables on the performance of SOFCs, and the available choice of stack designs, as well as the costing factors, operational limits, and performance prospects, have been briefly summarized in this work