Micro Fuel Cell
Overview
Fuel cells promise to be the next generation energy conversion device, operating silently and producing no emissions. Our research focuses on making Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) efficient and economical, thus we focus on the two areas that can be improved most: the electrolyte and the electrode reaction. Our study utilizes a combination of science and engineering: we delve into the physics behind the fuel cell to inspire technological innovation. We combine experimental and theoretical techniques to reap the benefits of both approaches.
The main impediment to wide-scale adoption of fuel cells is cost, and the primary reason SOFCs are so costly is that they must operate at very high temperatures, usually greater than 800°C. Therefore, our goal is to enable lower temperature efficient operation of SOFCs. SOFCs must operate at elevated temperatures because oxygen ion conduction through the oxide membrane is very slow at lower temperatures.
Our central innovation is to use thin-film processing techniques to make ultra-thin fuel cells. Our electrolyte membrane is one thousand times thinner than typical membranes; our ultra-thin SOFCs produced 400 mW/cm2 at 400°C [results published on J. Electrochem. Soc., 154(1) B20-B24 (2007)].
