Single-Cell Tests to Explore the Reliability of Sofc Installations Operating Offshore

This paper studies the robustness of off-shore solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) installations and the nature and causes of possible cell degradation in marine environments. Two important, cathode-related, impediments to ensuring SOFC reliability in off-shore installations are: cathode degradation due to salt contamination and oxygen depletion in the air supply. Short-term and long-term tests show the effect of salt contamination in the cathode feed on cell performance, and reveal the underlying cause of the degradation seen. SEM/X-ray Diffraction/(XRD) analyses made it possible to identify salt taken up in the cathode microstructure after the short-term testing while the macroscopic cell structure remained intact after the short-term tests. The long-term degradation was found to be more severe, and SEM images showed delamination at the cathode/electrolyte interface with salt present, something that was not seen after long-term testing without salt. The effect of oxygen depletion on the performance was also determined at three different temperatures using I-V curves.publishedVersio

Regenerative Energy Storage System for Space Exploration Missions

This paper describes the development and testing of a 1 kW reversible solid oxide fuel cell intended for energy storage on space exploration missions, particularly for long term Mars exploration. The energy is stored as H2 or CO produced by electrolysis of H2O or CO2. The reactants are then converted back to its original composition by producing electricity. The breadboard was operated for 1250 hours alternating between electrolyser mode and fuel cell mode with H2/H2O as reactants. During the tests, as long as the mechanical integrity of the system was maintained, no degradation effect was observed. At the end of the test period, the fuel cell was operated for three full cycles (approx. 50 hours) with CO/CO2 as reactants. The performance on CO/CO2 was lower than for hydrogen, but sufficient to be used in a compact energy storage system for Mars exploration

Optimized High Temperature PEM Fuel Cell & High Pressure PEM Electrolyser for Regenerative Fuel Cell Systems in GEO Telecommunication Satellites

Next generation telecommunication satellites will demand increasingly more power. Power levels up to 50 kW are foreseen for the next decades. Battery technology that can sustain up to 50 kW for eclipse lengths of up to 72 minutes will represent a major impact on the total mass of the satellite, even with new Li-ion battery technologies. Regenerative fuel cell systems (RFCS) were identified years ago as a possible alternative to rechargeable batteries. CMR Prototech has investigated this technology in a series of projects initiated by ESA focusing on both the essential fuel cell technology, demonstration of cycle performance of a RFCS, corresponding to 15 years in orbit, as well as the very important reactants storage systems. In the last two years the development has been focused towards optimising the key elements of the RFCS; the HTPEM fuel cell and the High Pressure PEM electrolyser. In these ESA activities the main target has been to optimise the design by reducing the mass and at the same time improve the performance, thus increasing the specific energy. This paper will present the latest development, including the main results, showing that significant steps have been taken to increase TRL on these key components

Regenerative Energy Storage System for Space Exploration Missions

This paper describes the development and testing of a 1 kW reversible solid oxide fuel cell intended for energy storage on space exploration missions, particularly for long term Mars exploration. The energy is stored as H2 or CO produced by electrolysis of H2O or CO2. The reactants are then converted back to its original composition by producing electricity. The breadboard was operated for 1250 hours alternating between electrolyser mode and fuel cell mode with H2/H2O as reactants. During the tests, as long as the mechanical integrity of the system was maintained, no degradation effect was observed. At the end of the test period, the fuel cell was operated for three full cycles (approx. 50 hours) with CO/CO2 as reactants. The performance on CO/CO2 was lower than for hydrogen, but sufficient to be used in a compact energy storage system for Mars exploration

Optimized High Temperature PEM Fuel Cell & High Pressure PEM Electrolyser for Regenerative Fuel Cell Systems in GEO Telecommunication Satellites

Next generation telecommunication satellites will demand increasingly more power. Power levels up to 50 kW are foreseen for the next decades. Battery technology that can sustain up to 50 kW for eclipse lengths of up to 72 minutes will represent a major impact on the total mass of the satellite, even with new Li-ion battery technologies. Regenerative fuel cell systems (RFCS) were identified years ago as a possible alternative to rechargeable batteries. CMR Prototech has investigated this technology in a series of projects initiated by ESA focusing on both the essential fuel cell technology, demonstration of cycle performance of a RFCS, corresponding to 15 years in orbit, as well as the very important reactants storage systems. In the last two years the development has been focused towards optimising the key elements of the RFCS; the HTPEM fuel cell and the High Pressure PEM electrolyser. In these ESA activities the main target has been to optimise the design by reducing the mass and at the same time improve the performance, thus increasing the specific energy. This paper will present the latest development, including the main results, showing that significant steps have been taken to increase TRL on these key components

Regenerative Energy Storage System for Space Exploration Missions

This paper describes the development and testing of a 1 kW reversible solid oxide fuel cell intended for energy storage on space exploration missions, particularly for long term Mars exploration. The energy is stored as H2 or CO produced by electrolysis of H2O or CO2. The reactants are then converted back to its original composition by producing electricity. The breadboard was operated for 1250 hours alternating between electrolyser mode and fuel cell mode with H2/H2O as reactants. During the tests, as long as the mechanical integrity of the system was maintained, no degradation effect was observed. At the end of the test period, the fuel cell was operated for three full cycles (approx. 50 hours) with CO/CO2 as reactants. The performance on CO/CO2 was lower than for hydrogen, but sufficient to be used in a compact energy storage system for Mars exploration

Carbon Tolerant Fuel Electrodes for Reversible Sofc Operating on Carbon Dioxide

A challenging barrier for the broad, successful implementation of Reversible Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (RSOFC) technology for Mars application utilizing CO2 from the Martian atmosphere as primary reactant, remains the long term stability by the effective control and minimization of degradation resulting from carbon built up. The perovskitic type oxide material La0.75Sr0.25Cr0.9Fe0.1O3-δ (LSCF) has been developed and studied for its performance and tolerance to carbon deposition, employed as bi-functional fuel electrode in a Reversible SOFC operating on the CO2 cycle (Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cell/SOEC: CO2 electrolysis, Solid Oxide Fuel Cell/SOFC: power generation through the electrochemical reaction of CO and oxygen). A commercial state-of-the-art NiO-YSZ (8% mol Y2O3 stabilized ZrO2) cermet was used as reference material. CO2 electrolysis and fuel cell operation in 70% CO/CO2 were studied in the temperature range of 900-1000°C. YSZ was used as electrolyte while LSM-YSZ/LSM (La0.2Sr0.8MnO3) as oxygen electrode. Results showed that LSCF had high and stable performance under RSOFC operation