The scope of the flexell project was to develop a ceramic material for electrodes of high temperature fuel cells. Given the context of the energy transition, this cell was meant to be capable of operating with alternative fuels such as biogas or ethanol and work reversibly as an electrolyser. The project spanned 24 months and more than 3,800 hours of activities were accounted for.
In the course of the project, 7 different powdered catalyst materials were developed along with 27 different tape casting slurries, 6 screen printing inks and 8 spin coating suspensions. For all these ceramic materials, 12 different sintering treatments were recorded. All this resulted in 20 distinct cell configurations. Every formulation and process developed within the flexell project was recorded.
We were able to demonstrate in conferences that our homemade cells could deliver over 700 mW.cm-2 of power density as fuel cells and operate at high efficiency as an electrolyser raising current densities of over 2,100 mA.cm-2 at low voltages (1.25 V). The project outcomes rendered 6 manuscripts (with 1 already accepted for publication) along with a range of standardised test rigs added to the group.
Furthermore, all 8 training objectives foresaw for the project were realised and accounted for over 80 hours, including techniques such as tape casting, spin coating, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetry, and dilatometry, amongst others, as detailed in this report. Additionally, a one-week placement at the University of St Andrews, under the supervision of Prof. John Irvine, resulted in intensive training on the Focused Ion Beam and Volume Reconstruction technique, and the beginning of a fruitful professional relationship between Prof. Irvine’s group and me.
As mentioned, the results of the project were communicated and presented at prestigious conferences of the field such as the European Fuel Cell Forum, in Lucerne, Switzerland in 2022, and the 18th Symposium in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells of the Electrochemical Society in Boston, US in 2023. To communicate results from the project and to raise awareness from the public about climate change concerns, the website of the project was put live in its own domain at flexell.uk.
Concerning my career development, I had the opportunity to be in close touch with teaching and supervising students (4 master's and 2 PhD) being responsible for the high temperature fuel cells module and for lab demonstration activities. Along with my supervisor, we managed to secure funds from the EPSRC to establish a Global Centre on
Hydrogen Production Technologies (the HyPT). The HyPT is a big consortium of 19 universities across the UK, US, Australia, Canada, and Egypt that will address low-cost large-scale hydrogen production with net-zero emissions of greenhouse gases enabling decarbonisation of many energy-intensive and hard-to-abate industries such as ammonia, steel, cement, aluminium, transportation, among many others. This project will enable me to keep my post for at least 5 years.
In summary, the project’s activities were able to generate valuable products in the form of high-impact manuscripts that will be soon submitted for publication, along with new processes, equipment, and materials for the Centre for Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Research Group of the University of Birmingham. In terms of training and career progression, I am now on the verge of starting a new project that offers not only technical and professional capabilities but also a valuable network with leading researchers in the hydrogen field.
