Improve the Electrochemical Performance and Long-Term Durability of Protonic Ceramic Electrochemical Cells

Abstract

Energy and environmental issues have attracted much attention in recent decades. To secure a green and sustainable energy future, we need to redesign current energy systems to move from conventional fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. The potential renewable energy from wind and solar exceeds global energy consumption; however, it is not flexible due to the intermittent nature of sunlight and wind. Thus, a robust, cost-effective, and secure technology is required to efficiently store this renewable energy. Protonic ceramic electrochemical cells (PCECs) are solid-state electrochemical devices that can directly convert between electrical energy and chemical energy (hydrogen and hydrocarbons) by operating in both electrolysis and fuel cell modes. Due to their relatively high operating temperature (~500 °C), PCECs are more favorable in terms of both thermodynamics and kinetics when compared with other similar energy-conversion technologies that are operated at a lower temperature (such as proton-exchange membrane cells). To be commercially competitive, however, several critical challenges related to performance, durability, and the Faradaic Efficiency need to be solved. In this talk, we will present our recent achievements on materials and cell design to solve these challenges. By optimizing the air electrode composition and microstructure, a dramatically enhanced electrochemical performance was achieved on both the fuel cell and the electrolysis cell. The long-term durability was improved via constructing a robust interface between the electrode and the electrolyte. We will also introduce a reliable method to measure the Faradaic Efficiency during the cell operation to the community.