Selection of Highlights of the European Project Next Generation Solid Oxide Fuel Cell and Electrolysis Technology – NewSOC

Abstract

In a time, where first solid oxide based systems enter demonstration and commercial markets, the European NewSOC project focuses on next generations. It aims at significantly improving performance, durability, and cost competitiveness of solid oxide cells and stacks compared to state-of-the-art (SoA). In order to achieve these goals, NewSOC investigates twelve innovative concepts in the following areas: (i) structural optimization and innovative architectures based on SoA materials, (ii) alternative materials, which allow for overcoming inherent challenges of SoA, (iii) innovative manufacturing to reduce critical raw materials and reduction of environmental footprint at improved performance and lifetime. The NewSOC unifies competences of 16 strong research and industry players. First scientific highlights were achieved despite the challenging working conditions under the European wide Covid-19 restrictions in the first year of the project. The presentation will provide a selection of these highlights.

Perspective—Solid Oxide Cell Technology for Space Exploration

“…This terrestrial-focused effort has made substantial progress in improvements in the cathode, anode, and electrolyte materials and processes along with the overall SOFC/SOEC cell architecture. A very recent review on solid oxide electrolysis materials 27 along with a recent status of a European Union (EU) funded project to address next generation improvements to the SOEC/SOFC cell architecture 28 provide a good overview of this extensive work. Since the adaption of solid oxide cells for space application offers additional challenges and constraints, this perspective will highlight these challenges and a few specific examples of past and on-going work to solve them.…”

Comparison of the Electrochemical Performances of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells with Sputtered Thin Barrier Layers Fueled by Hydrogen or Ammonia

“…Given its long-term expertise in thin film deposition with different PVD techniques (molecular beam epitaxy [19], pulsed laser deposition [20] and sputtering [21], among others), together with their long-time knowledge on the impedance characterization of thin films [22], a research group at the University of Salerno recently proposed an innovative deposition process for the fabrication of GDC thin barrier layers, based on room-temperature radio-frequency (RF) sputtering followed by in-air annealing at moderate temperatures. Huge increments in the output current of hydrogen-fed SOFCs with sputtered GDC layers have been observed with respect to SoA industrial devices [23], both in button cells (up to +78%) [23,24] and in large industrial-scale cells [25][26][27].…”

Exploring Fuel Flexibility of Sputtered Thin Barrier Layers SOFC Cells: The Effect of Direct Ammonia Feeding on the Performances

“…Given its long-term expertise in thin films deposition with different PVD techniques (Molecular Beam Epitaxy [19], Pulsed Laser Deposition [20] and sputtering [21], among the others) together with the long-time knowledge in impedance characterization of thin films [22], the research group at the University of Salerno recently proposed an innovative deposition process for the fabrication of GDC thin barrier layers, based on roomtemperature Radio-Frequency (RF) sputtering followed by in-air annealing at moderate temperatures. Huge increments in the output current of hydrogen-fed SOFC with sputtered GDC layers have been observed with respect to SoA industrial devices [23] both in button cells (up to +78%) [23,24] and in large industrial scale cells [25][26][27].…”