ESL Electro-Science has announced that the use of scandia stabilized zirconia (ScSZ) has recently been shown to more than double the power density achieved with conventional electrolyte materials for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC). ScSZ is now commercially available in both tape form and as a fired substrate.
High temperature SOFCs, based on an oxide-ion conducting electrolyte, offer a clean, low-pollution technology to electrochemically generate electricity at high efficiencies. SOFC provides many advantages over traditional energy conversion systems including high efficiency, reliability, modularity, fuel adaptability, and very low levels of SOx and NOx emissions.
It is expected that planar SOFCs will have widespread application in the stationary distributed power generation, transportation, and military market sectors. Systems based on both tubular and planar SOFCs are ideal power generation systems - reliable, clean, quiet, environmentally friendly, and fuel conserving, hence reducing dependence on imported oil.
The new ScSZ ceramic is made by adding scandia (Sc2O3) to zirconium oxide (ZrO2) to optimize the crystal structure. The raw materials are first tape cast into a flexible sheet, then sintered at high temperature. The new ScSZ exhibits improved ionic conductivity and mechanical strength while its coefficient of thermal expansion is about the same as yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ). The use of ScSZ thus helps increase power-generating characteristics of the devices, while decreasing size and cost.
SoFCs operate at temperatures of 750-1000 C Efficiencies of 50-60% can be obtained without cogeneration and 80-85% with cogeneration. Operation at these temperatures eliminates the need for precious metal catalysts, reducing the cost and allowing the reforming of fuels internally, further reducing the cost and permitting the use of a variety of fuels without adding an external reformer.
ESL Electro-Science, King of Prussia, PA, USA
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Posted by: Invertir en oro | May 17, 2011 at 02:22 PM