« Micro-solid oxide fuel cells for portable power sources »
Event details
| Date | 11.05.2010 |
| Hour | 09:00 |
| Speaker | Dr. Bo-Kuai Lai, Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Boston |
| Location |
CO 017
|
| Category | Conferences - Seminars |
Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) convert fuels such as hydrogen, natural gas, and biomass into electricity through electrochemical reactions. SOFCs that are primarily composed of thin films and fabricated by photolithography are usually referred to as micro- SOFCs (µSOFCs). In comparison to other electrochemical devices, µSOFCs are predicted to possess the highest theoretical energy density. Therefore, they hold tremendous potential as fuel flexible, long lasting, lightweight, and low emission portable power sources. However, fabrication of µSOFCs is extremely challenging – very few µSOFCs have been experimentally demonstrated in the past decade. Moreover, properties of materials used to create µSOFCs and thermomechanical behavior of ultrathin µSOFC membranes are still far from well understood. In this talk, I will present the pathways towards robust, large- area, high-performance µSOFCs. Particular emphasis will be placed on the synthesis of high-quality, crack-free La0.6Sr0.4Co0.8Fe0.2O3 (LSCF) cathodes by sputtering. The LSCF ultrathin films exhibit properties comparable to their bulk counterparts despite of their nanocrystallinity and low synthesis temperatures, which are several hundreds of oC lower than conventional sintering methods, Microstructure and microfabrication considerations, as well as microstructure and stress engineering, for large-area, failure-resistant µSOFC membranes will be discussed. I will also present innovative in-situ electrical characterization approaches – namely, real-time probing of the effect of UV-irradiation and parallel monitoring of µSOFC performance and deformation – to understanding high- temperature behavior of LSCF cathodes and µSOFCs. Several novel µSOFC prototypes will be demonstrated, including wafer- scale µSOFC arrays, grid-supported µSOFCs, µSOFC stacks, and Pt-free µSOFCs. These prototypes are stepping stones towards the realization of µSOFCs as portable and embeddable power sources.
Practical information
- General public
- Free
Contact
- Juergen Brugger