Can solid oxide fuel cells use hydrogen?
Here are two of these differences impacting how these technologies are being used today. Comparison of four primary types of fuel cells. Fuel : PEM fuel cells use pure hydrogen (H2) as fuel. Meanwhile, solid oxide fuel cells can use hydrocarbon fuels such as natural gas, methane and propane to produce electricity.
Can fuel cells generate hydrogen?
Fuel cells operate best on pure hydrogen. But fuels like natural gas, methanol, or even gasoline can be reformed to produce the hydrogen required for fuel cells. Some fuel cells even can be fueled directly with methanol, without using a reformer.
Are solid oxide fuel cells commercially available?
“The Trump Administration is committed to making SOFC systems commercially available for hydrogen production and power generation. “This means that SOFCs are much more efficient and environmentally benign than conventional electric power generation processes.”
What are solid oxide fuel cells made of?
Solid Oxide fuel cells (SOFC) use a hard, ceramic compound of metal (like calcium or zirconium) oxides (chemically, O2) as electrolyte. Efficiency is about 60 percent, and operating temperatures are about 1,000 °C (about 1,800 °F).
What are SOFCs used for?
SOFCs can be used to produce a combination of electricity, hydrogen-rich synthesis gas, and high-temperature heat. This makes them particularly suitable both for stand-alone applications and integrated with other thermal cycles or energy conversion technologies (Zhang et al., 2010).
How is hydrogen produced for fuel cells?
Thermal processes for hydrogen production typically involve steam reforming, a high-temperature process in which steam reacts with a hydrocarbon fuel to produce hydrogen. Today, about 95% of all hydrogen is produced from steam reforming of natural gas. Learn more about: Natural gas reforming.
What are the two most common ways to produce hydrogen gas used in fuel cells?
The two most common methods for producing hydrogen are steam-methane reforming and electrolysis (splitting water with electricity.
Are solid oxide fuel cells Green?
They work cleanly and efficiently with both renewable and traditional sources of energy. An additional advantage is their effectiveness for converting the chemical energy in a fuel into electrical energy.
What are the applications of solid oxide fuel cell?
SOFCs are well suited to stationary power generation for homes and businesses. Their high temperatures make them particularly efficient for Combined Heat and Power (CHP) systems, as waste heat can be put to good use for heating and cooling.
How does a solid oxide fuel cell work?
Solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) is fundamentally the reverse counterpart of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). In SOFC, hydrogen gas (H 2) is fed to the anode to combine with oxide ions (O 2−) for hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR), which gives off electrons (e −) and generates water (H 2 O).
How are hydrogen fuel cells used in power generation?
The same proven fuel cell technology that has powered our natural gas fleet is being used to generate combustion-free, emissions-free and carbon-free electricity from hydrogen. The technology enables highly efficient, distributed power generation with the same focus on reliability that Bloom has demonstrated over the last 15 years.
How is hydrogen produced in a SOFC cell?
In SOFC, hydrogen gas (H 2) is fed to the anode to combine with oxide ions (O 2−) for hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR), which gives off electrons (e −) and generates water (H 2 O). Then, the electrons are transported to external circuits as electricity to the cathode.
Which is the reverse counterpart of solid oxide fuel cells?
Consequently, high-temperature solid oxide electrolysis cell (HT-SOEC) has attracted numerous researchers to develop the materials for achieving better energy efficiency. Solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) is fundamentally the reverse counterpart of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs).