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Center for Advanced MaterialsUniversity of HoustonNASA Research Partnership Center
CAM
Thin Film Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Storage Materials for Solar Energy
Application
Alex Ignatiev1,2, Ainur Issova2, Mukhtar Eleuov2
1 Center for Advanced Materials
University of Houston,
Houston, TX 77204-5004
2 Institute for Physics and Technology
Almaty, Kazakhstan
Almaty, 2011
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Center for Advanced MaterialsUniversity of HoustonNASA Research Partnership Center
CAM
Solar Energy Utilization
• Sunlight Required
• Energy Storage Needed for Nighttime and Cloudy Operation
• Store Energy in Hydrogen..• Electrolyze Water
• Utilize Hydrogen Fuel Efficiently
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Center for Advanced MaterialsUniversity of HoustonNASA Research Partnership Center
CAM
• Liquid • Cold – 22K• 5 wt% - Adequate• EXPENSIVE…..
Hydrogen Storage Options
• Gas• High Pressure- 200-500 bar• 2-3 wt% - Too Little Hydrogen• High Pressure Danger
• Hydrides
• ~ 1 wt% - Too Little Hydrogen in Cycle
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Center for Advanced MaterialsUniversity of HoustonNASA Research Partnership Center
CAM
Volume for Storage of 5 kg H2 in Different States (Equivalent to 20 L Gasoline)
No Effective way of Storing Hydrogen…..• Polymer Nanostructures…. ??
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Center for Advanced MaterialsUniversity of HoustonNASA Research Partnership Center
CAM
Nanostructured Polymers
• Polyanaline Nanotubes
• Conducting Polymers
• Nanotube pores
• High surface area
Polyaniline Nanotubes
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Center for Advanced MaterialsUniversity of HoustonNASA Research Partnership Center
CAM
• PANI 2.5-3 wt% H2 Uptake
•Tested to 12+ Cycles-no deg
Polyaniline (PANI) Charge & Discharge
• Charge at 300psi for 2 hours
• Multiple Charge – Discharge Cycles
• Mass Spectrometer Read-out
• Good Hydrogen Storage and Cycling
20 40 60 80 100 120 140
0.01.0x10-72.0x10-73.0x10-74.0x10-75.0x10-76.0x10-77.0x10-78.0x10-79.0x10-71.0x10-61.1x10-61.2x10-6
Discharged E
Charged ECharged A
Discharged D
Discharged B
Discharged A
Charged D
Charged B
To
rr
Temp.o
C
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Center for Advanced MaterialsUniversity of HoustonNASA Research Partnership Center
CAM
Volume for Storage of 5 kg H2 in Different States (Equivalent to 20 L Gasoline)
Polyaniline
Polyaniline - Promising Hydrogen Storage System
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Center for Advanced MaterialsUniversity of HoustonNASA Research Partnership Center
CAM
Efficient Use of Hydrogen Fuel
Hydrogen for Transportation
• Internal Combustion Engine
• Not Use – Explosive Reaction
• Still form NOx
• Use Fuel Cell
• Electrochemical Reaction
• OK - No NOx formed…..
• Only WATER….
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Center for Advanced MaterialsUniversity of HoustonNASA Research Partnership Center
CAM
What is a Fuel Cell?A device that generates electricity by combining fuel and oxygen in an electrochemical reaction.
Advantages
• High energy conversion efficiency
• Minimal environmental impact
• Stackable to reach very high power output
• Reduced noise level
1/2O2
H2O2e- Fuel
Oxidant
Anode
Electrolyte
Cathode
2e-
O2-
O2-
O2-
H2
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Center for Advanced MaterialsUniversity of HoustonNASA Research Partnership Center
CAM
Solid Oxide Fuel Cell
• Hydrogen and oxygen reactants
• ZrO3 electrolyte
• Nickel anode
• Operating temperature is 900-1000°C
• Encapsulation materials challenges
• High materials costs
But, High Efficiency > 60%
• High market cost
• How to Reduce market cost …. ??
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Center for Advanced MaterialsUniversity of HoustonNASA Research Partnership Center
CAM
Apply Thin Film Materials Expertise to SOFC Challenges
• Develop New Design: Thin Film Solid Oxide Fuel Cell
• Thin Film Heterostructure Design
- Thin electrolyte- lower temperature operation
- Atomically ordered films/interfaces- lower resistance
• Microelectronics Processing - Economies of Scale
• Lower Fabrication Cost
• Smaller Size
• Lower Cost
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Center for Advanced MaterialsUniversity of HoustonNASA Research Partnership Center
CAM
Thin Film SOFC Heterostructure Growth
• Thin Film Atomically Ordered YSZ Electrolyte
• Reduce Internal Defects
• Reduce Interface Defects
Target
Plume
Beam
VacuumChamber
Substrate
Heater
Excimer
Laser
FocusLens
Oxygen
Target
Plume
Beam
VacuumChamber
Substrate
Heater
Excimer
Laser
FocusLens
Oxygen
Epitaxial Growth
• Pulsed Laser Deposition of Epitaxial YSZ Film
on Crystalline Nickel Foil Substrate
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Center for Advanced MaterialsUniversity of HoustonNASA Research Partnership Center
CAM
Thin Film Heterostructure Solid Oxide Fuel Cell
Total Cell Thickness
~ 20-25 m thick
Porous LaSrCoO3 Cathode ~ 1 m thick
Yttria Stabilized Zirconia Thin Film Electrolyte
~ 0.1 - 1 m thick
Nickel Anode~20m thick
Fuel
Oxygen/Air
Ni Foil Anode NOT Porous
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Center for Advanced MaterialsUniversity of HoustonNASA Research Partnership Center
CAM
• Electrochemically Etched Nickel Anode
• 60 m Etched Pores
•Nickel Side Electro-etch
Ni Porosity - Microelectronics Photolithography / Etching
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Center for Advanced MaterialsUniversity of HoustonNASA Research Partnership Center
CAM
TFSOFC I vs. V as a Function of Temperature
Hydrogen / Air - Polycrystalline Single Cell
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 350.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 350 5 10 15 20 25 30 350.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 350 5 10 15 20 25 30 350.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 350 5 10 15 20 25 30 350.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 350
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
110
120
480oC
I (mA)
P (
mW
/cm
2 )
570oC
V (
V)
I (mA)
555oC
I (mA)
520oC
I (mA)
Thin Film Micro SOFC
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Center for Advanced MaterialsUniversity of HoustonNASA Research Partnership Center
CAM
• Solid Oxide Fuel Cells Have Nickel Anodes
• Nickel Excellent Catalyst for Hydrocarbon Reduction
• BUT…….‘Coking’ at High Temperatures…. > 600 C
Thin Film Heterostructure SOFC Advancement
• However… Micro Fuel Cell Operates at 500 C – NO Coking…!
• Hydrocarbon Fuel Operation at ~60% Efficiency….
• Methane/Methanol
• Ethane/Ethanol
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Center for Advanced MaterialsUniversity of HoustonNASA Research Partnership Center
CAM
Thin Film Fuel Cell Stack
• Require ~ 100V to 200V Operation• Series Connection of Cell Elements
• Interconnect Required
• Stack Individual Cells Together in Series
• Work in Collaboration with Institute for Physics and Technology, Almaty
• Advance Technology• Finalize Product•Technology Transfer• Economic Growth
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Center for Advanced MaterialsUniversity of HoustonNASA Research Partnership Center
CAM
Thin Film Fuel Cell Stack Components
Cell Element
Oxidant Flow
Fuel Flow
Interconnect
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Center for Advanced MaterialsUniversity of HoustonNASA Research Partnership Center
CAM
Fuel Cell Stack Design (In Progress)
TFSOFC Micro-patterned Interconnect
cathode
electrolyte
anode
Fuel flow
Oxidant flow
Thin Film Heterostructure SOFC Advancement
Projected > 5W/cm3 at ~500oC
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Center for Advanced MaterialsUniversity of HoustonNASA Research Partnership Center
CAM
Summary• A New Thin Film Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Design
• Efficient, Clean, Compact and Cost Efficient
• Low Temperature Operation
• Direct Use of Hydrocarbon Fuel
• Natural Gas
• Hydrogen from Dissociation of Water…????
Distributed EnergyAutomotive Energy
Strategy for Efficient, Clean Electrical Energy Generation