DOE FE Distributed Generation Program

Abstract

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy’s (FE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), in partnership with private industries, is leading the development and demonstration of high efficiency solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) and fuel cell turbine hybrid power generation systems for near term distributed generation (DG) markets with an emphasis on premium power and high reliability. NETL is partnering with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in developing new directions in research under the Solid-State Energy Conversion Alliance (SECA) initiative for the development and commercialization of modular, low cost, and fuel flexible SOFC systems. The SECA initiative, through advanced materials, processing and system integration research and development, will bring the fuel cell cost to $400 per kilowatt (kW) for stationary and auxiliary power unit (APU) markets. The President of the U.S. has launched us into a new hydrogen economy. The logic of a hydrogen economy is compelling. The movement to a hydrogen economy will accomplish several strategic goals. The U.S. can use its own domestic resources—solar, wind, hydro, and coal. The U.S. uses 20 percent of the world’s oil but has only 3 percent of resources. Also, the U.S. can reduce green house gas emissions. Clear Skies and Climate Change initiatives aim to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions. SOFCs have no emissions, so they figure significantly in these DOE strategies. In addition, DG—SOFCs, reforming, energy storage—has significant benefit for enhanced security and reliability. The use of fuel cells in cars is expected to bring about the hydrogen economy. However, commercialization of fuel cells is expected to proceed first through portable and stationary applications. This logic says to develop SOFCs for a wide range of stationary and APU applications, initially for conventional fuels, then switch to hydrogen. Like all fuel cells, the SOFC will operate even better on hydrogen than conventional fuels. The SOFC hybrid is a key part of the FutureGen plants. FutureGen is a major new Presidential initiative to produce hydrogen from coal. The highly efficient SOFC hybrid plant will produce electric power and other parts of the plant could produce hydrogen and sequester CO2. The hydrogen produced can be used in fuel cell cars and for SOFC DG applications.

A novel composite cathode La0.6Sr0.4CoO3−δ–BaZr0.1Ce0.7Y0.1Yb0.1O3−δ for intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells

“…Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) have attracted increasing attention worldwide as a future green energy conversion device, due to its reliability, durability, high fuel efficiency, environment friendly aspects and fuel flexibility [1][2][3][4]. In general, SOFCs demand relatively high operating temperatures (4800 1C), which could promote catalytic activity of the electrode and rapid reaction kinetic while also benefiting the internal reforming of the hydrocarbon fuels [5].…”

A new stable BaCeO3-based proton conductor for intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cells

“…Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) have increasingly been considered as future green energy sources worldwide [1,2] because of their high energy efficiencies [3], silent work (without the moving mechanical parts) [4] and low production of pollutants [5,6]. Now the anode-supporting SOFCs based on proton-conducting electrolytes have attracted considerable attention in the world [7].…”

“…The chemical stability of powder samples in pure CO 2 were tested. A fuel cell with BaCe 0.7 Nb 0.1 Sm 0.2 O 3−ı as electrolyte was prepared and tested in hydrogen from 600 • C to 700 • C. The interface of the cell was also studied.…”

Ce0.9Sr0.1Cr0.5Mn0.5O3−δ as the anode materials for solid oxide fuel cells running on H2 and H2S

“…Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are an attractive energy conversion device for high fuel conversion efficiency; low emissions, low noise, renewable energy [1][2][3][4][5][6][7] and fuel flexibility are the biggest advantages for SOFCs. Most fuels are coal gas, biogas, and nature gas even industrial H 2 containing impurities such as S and P [8].…”