Efficient Protonic Ceramic Fuel Cells Utilize Electrokinetic Proton Conduction in Three-Conducting Oxides
In a groundbreaking development, a research team led by Professor Guntae Kim at the School of Energy and Chemical Engineering at UNIST has made significant strides in the field of solid-state electrochemical devices. The team's findings, published in the journal Advanced Science in June 2021, suggest that a hybrid perovskite-based composite material could potentially solve critical issues for protonic ceramic fuel cells (PCFCs), such as low power density and high operating temperatures.
The collaborative research was conducted with Professor Sivaprakash Sengodan from the UK's Imperial College London, Professor Meilin Liu from the Georgia Institute of Technology in the United States, and Professor Sihyuk Choi from Kumoh National Institute of Technology. The team's findings could lead to the development of more efficient and cost-effective PCFCs for various applications, including portable electronics, transportation, and stationary power generation.
The hybrid perovskite-based composite material was found to have a proton tracer diffusion coefficient (D*H) of 1.47 × 10-5 cm2 s-1 at 550 °C, which is three orders of magnitude higher than the oxygen diffusion coefficient at even higher temperatures. This remarkable finding underscores the material's potential for PCFC applications.
The research team expanded their study to include the use of a hybrid perovskite-based composite material for PCFC cathodes. This significant step forward in the development of PCFC technology could pave the way for more efficient and cost-effective fuel cells.
The study used the isotope exchange diffusion profile (IEDP) method to evaluate the proton kinetics in layered perovskite-type TCOs, PrBa0.5Sr0.5Co1.5Fe0.5O5+δ (PBSCF). The team also demonstrated that the hybrid perovskite-based composite material can be synthesized using a simple and scalable method, which could make it commercially viable.
The PBSCF cathode exhibited excellent electrochemical performance for PCFC operation at low temperatures, with a performance of 0.42 W cm?2 at 500 °C. The hybrid cathode, on the other hand, showed even better performance, with a performance of 0.64 W cm-2 at 500 °C, representing a 50% improvement over the PBSCF cathode.
Advantages of PCFCs include a wide range of operating temperatures and material choices, which could solve critical issues for solid-state electrochemical devices. Fuel cells, including PCFCs, are eco-friendly energy conversion systems that use the chemical energy of hydrogen or another fuel to generate electricity.
The findings revealed that the PBSCF had a proton tracer diffusion coefficient (D*H) of 1.04 × 10?6 cm2 s?1 at 550 °C, which is two orders of magnitude higher than its oxygen diffusion coefficient at even higher temperatures. The research team is currently studying triple conducting oxides (TCOs) for characterizing the electrochemical behavior of protons.
Layered perovskites are receiving attention as potential cathode materials for protonic ceramic fuel cells (PCFCs) due to their high proton conductivity and excellent electrochemical performance at low temperatures. The potential of the hybrid perovskite-based composite material for PCFC applications is indeed promising, and further research is expected to unveil even more exciting possibilities in the field of solid-state electrochemical devices.
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