Intermediate-temperature fuel cells for distributed generation

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Meilin Liu

Georgia Institute of Technology, USA

: Expert Opin Environ Biol

Abstract

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While large, centralized power generation systems offer excellent economy of scale, they suffer from efficiency losses and vulnerability to power outage due to required long-distance power transmission; it is also challenging to manage the mismatch between power generation and demands and to integrate renewable energy sources into centralized systems. Fuel cells are ideally suited for distributed power generation, producing power where it is used. Among all types of fuel cells, solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are the cleanest and most efficient option for direct conversion to electricity of a wide variety of fuels, from hydrogen to hydrocarbons, coal gas, and bio-derived fuels. However, their commercialization hinges on rational design of novel materials of exceptional functionalities at lower temperatures to dramatically reduce the cost while enhancing performance and durability. To accomplish this goal, it is imperative to gain a fundamental understanding of the mechanisms of charge and mass transport along surfaces, across interfaces, and through porous electrodes. Further, new protocols must be developed to control materials structure, composition, and morphology over multiple length scales, thus producing nanoporous materials with more accessible surfaces of much higher functionalities and with shorter diffusion distances for greatly enhanced rate capabilities. This presentation will highlight the critical scientific challenges facing the development of a new generation of intermediate-temperature fuel cells for distributed generation, the latest developments in modeling, simulation, and in situ characterization techniques for unraveling charge and mass transport mechanisms, and the outlook for futuregeneration fuel cells that exploit nano-scale materials of significantly improved performance.

Biography

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Email: meilin.liu@mse.gatech.edu