Hexagonal anorthite (CaAl2Si2O8) has been prepared by hydrothermal processing of monocalcium aluminate and quartz at temperatures as low as 200°C. The successful development of this phase is dependent upon several processing parameters, including the hydration of the calcium aluminate precursor material to the hydrogarnet phase (Ca3Al2O6·6H2O) prior to hydrothermal treatment and the use of quartz as opposed to amorphous sources of SiO2. Quartz has partial solubility in the hydrogarnet lattice for additions up to 40 wt%. Increased SiO2 substitution has been shown to reduce the conversion of hydrogarnet to Ca4Al6O13·3H2O, thereby increasing its thermal stability and improving its strength characteristics at temperatures greater than 200°C. Quartz additions greater than 43 wt% lead to the formation of CaAl2Si2O8 as the sole reaction product. The moderate temperatures involved in forming this anhydrous material are an order of magnitude lower than those necessary to form this phase by melt crystallization, making it a true chemically bonded ceramic. The reaction can form a bonded matrix with strengths up to 40000 psi (280 MPa). Strengths are limited due to density changes during anorthite formation, but the matrix is thermally stable up to 1000°C.

Versa Power Systems (VPS) is a developer of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) for clean power generation. VPS has been working with its development partner FuelCell Energy within the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy's Solid State Energy Conversion Alliance (SECA) program to apply SOFC technology in large-scale, multi-megawatt power plant systems that utilize coal in a clean and efficient manner. As a result, new initiatives such as scale-up of the cell and stack are now being actively pursued for these applications.

Significant progress has been made towards the development of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) at FuelCell Energy Inc. (FCE). The genesis of the advances in the technology is rooted in scale-up of the Company's anode-support technology made by the TSC (Tape Casting-Screen Printing-Sintering) Process. These advancements led to an enhanced cell performance by reducing cell ASR (Area Specific Resistance) while reducing cell cost through cell design changes and materials reduction. The baseline stack design has been successfully scaled-up from 120-cell 550 cm 2 cell area (16 kW nominal) stack. Using standardized manifolds and gaselectrical interconnects, these stacks have been successfully integrated into stack towers and arrays. FCE recently designed, built, and tested a 50 kW fully automated SOFC system with support from the US Department of Energy. Currently, FCE is engaged in demonstration of a 200kW SOFC system that utilize baseline factory-built stack blocks representative of the future MW-scale power plants.

Experimental results of the performance of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) unit are presented. The unit was designed, manufactured and tested at the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. The 10 kW power class SOFC stack and stack module were designed and manufactured by Versa Power Systems (VPS). A successful commissioning test of the unit was conducted in 2010. Long term testing of the unit was started in November 2010. The unit has been operated with natural gas for over 1500 hours supplying electricity to the local grid. The unit has shown robust and uninterrupted performance. Stack DC efficiency of 60% and system net AC efficiency of 43% has been measured during the operation.