Progress and Prospects of Intermediate-Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

A fuel cell operates like a battery but does not need to be recharged, and continuously produces power when supplied with fuel and oxidant. Fuel cells’ efficiencies are not limited by the Carnot cycle of a heat engine, and the magnitudes of pollutant output from fuel cells are lower than from conventional technologies. Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) can work in both fuel cell mode and electrolysis mode. Fuel flexibility is a major advantage of solid oxide fuel cells. The most common fuel is hydrogen, other fuel sources come from any hydrocarbon that can decompose hydrogens, such as natural gas, alcohol, and methane. The anode materials should have high electrical conductivity, and high catalytic efficiency. Perovskites offer unique advantages over traditional metal-cermet type anodes and, in the past decade, have been an area of extensive research in the SOFC field. The SOFC electrolyte plays a key role in conducting ionic species between the electrodes, completing the electrical circuit.