Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Interest in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) which can operate at intermediate temperature range had led scientists and engineers to focus the Research and Development (R&D) efforts on the design and fabrication techniques. The capability to fabricate such fuel cells having thin electrode structures has been demonstrated by a number of groups worldwide. Additionally to this “Thin Film Technology”, material characteristics, especially solid-state ionic and proton conduction at low temperatures, has created a new research field that has attracted attention and interest in recent years. Of the various types of FCs, the SOFC is the most demanding from a materials point of view. However, because it operates at relatively high temperature, it offers the significant advantage of simple fuel pre-treatment. This advantage creates opportunities for SOFCs where natural gas, biomass, diesel, gasoline and other fuels are abundantly available. Applications where SOFCs may find dominant positions include distributed power, military transport applications, heat generation for the home and auxiliary power units.