Objective
Energy consumption and production that rely on fossil fuels is forecast to have a severe future impact on world economics and ecology. Electrochemical energy production is under serious consideration as an alternative energy/power source. Systems for electrochemical energy storage and production include batteries and fuel cells, the latter being of greater interest due to the higher availability. Fuel cells are typically classified by the type of electrolyte. The Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC), where the electrolyte is a solid, has been proposed as the most effective choice due to its versatile choice of fuel, almost quantitative thermodynamic efficiency and tolerance to most impurities. Nevertheless, limitations and problems arise from the high operating temperatures (700 °C) and very humid atmospheres (pH2O = 0.5) which are largely due to the low anionic O2- and protonic H+ conductivities of anionic conductors electrolyte materials. Overall SOFC improvement relies on increasing the conductivities of the electrolyte, which could only be obtained from a mechanism understanding of how O2- and H+ propagate through the electrolyte. We proposed here to tackle these issues by studying the structural chemistry and O2- / H+ dynamics of electrolyte materials under in operando SOFC conditions using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, the most powerful structural determination technique available. The approach will rely on the combined use of state of the art very high field NMR spectrometers, robust solid state NMR probes capable of performing NMR experiments up to 800 °C and endless lists of NMR experiments to obtain structural data and dynamics models covering all timescales. In combination with other in operando techniques (XAS, AC), we aim to obtain mechanisms of conduction subsequently used to design better electrolytes materials with higher conductivities properties compatible with the manufacturing of fuel cells operating at lower temperatures.
Fields of science
Call for proposal
FP7-PEOPLE-2010-IIF
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Funding Scheme
MC-IIF - International Incoming Fellowships (IIF)Coordinator
CB2 1TN Cambridge
United Kingdom