University of Florida Research Foundation Inc

Heesung Yoon

Eric D Wachsman

Jianlin Li

Takkeun Oh

Kang Taek Lee

Matthew Camaratta

Jin Soo Ahn

Kang-Taek Lee

Embodiments of the invention are directed to SOFC with a multilayer structure comprising a porous ceramic cathode, optionally a cathodic triple phase boundary layer, a bilayer electrolyte comprising a cerium oxide comprising layer and a bismuth oxide comprising layer, an anion functional layer, and a porous ceramic anode with electrical interconnects, wherein the SOFC displays a very high power density at temperatures below 700&#xb0; C. with hydrogen or hydrocarbon fuels. The low temperature conversion of chemical energy to electrical energy allows the fabrication of the fuel cells using stainless steel or other metal alloys rather than ceramic conductive oxides as the interconnects.

Advanced materials and design for low temperature SOFCs

In one embodiment, a membrane of proton-electron conducting ceramics that is useful for the conversion of a hydrocarbon and steam to hydrogen has a porous support of M'-SrM&#x2033;CeZrM&#x2032;&#x2033;O, AlO, mullite, ZrO, CeOor any mixtures thereof where: M&#x2032; is Ni, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Nb, Mo, W, Zn, Pt, Ru, Rh, Pd, alloys thereof or mixtures thereof; M&#x2033; is Ba, Ca, Mg, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, or Yb; M&#x2032;&#x2033; is Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Nb, Mo, W, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, or Yb; z&#x2032; is 0 to about 0.5; x&#x2032; is 0 to about 0.5; y&#x2032; is 0 to about 0.5; and x&#x2032;+y&#x2032;&#x3e;0; for example, Ni&#x2014;SrCeZrO, where x&#x2032; is about 0.1 to about 0.3. The porous support is coated with a film of a Perovskite-type oxide of the formula SrCeZrMOwhere M is at least one of Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Nb, Mo, W, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, and Yb, x is 0 to about 0.15 and y is about 0.1 to about 0.3. By including the Zr and M in the oxide in place of Ce, the stability can be improved while maintaining sufficient hydrogen flux for efficient generation of hydrogen. In this manner, the conversion can be carried out by performing steam methane reforming (SMR) and/or water-gas shift reactions (WGS) at high temperature, where the conversion of CO to COand His driven by the removal of Hto give high conversions. Methods of preparing the membrane cells and a system for use of the membrane cells to prepare hydrogen are presented. A method for sequestering COby reaction with methane or other hydrocarbon catalyzed by the novel membrane to form a syngas is also presented.

Proton conducting membranes for hydrogen production and separation

Growing community of inventors

Silver Spring, MD, United States of America

Heesung Yoon