Operando Optical Studies of High Temperature Energy Conversion Chemistry
Abstract
Operando Optical Studies of High Temperature Energy Conversion ChemistryAbstract:ONR support is requested to fund collaborative" research focused on understanding reactivity and degradation mechanisms in high temperature, energy conversion devices. Activities" will focus on two specific areas and address ONR-identified needs for efficient fuel utilization and logistics fuel capability. Spe"cifically, experiments will examine and quantify the adverse impacts of common gas phase contaminants on solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC") performance as well as mechanisms of charge transfer and electrochemical oxidation in SOFCs operating with gas phase fuel mixtures created from reformed modellogistics fuels. Outcomes from this work will address explicit objectives of the Naval S&T Power and Energy Focus Area including improved means for providing reliable electrical power and greater energy efficiency. The proposed work al"so reflects goals of ONR~s Electrochemical Materials Program (Code 33, Division 332), namely developing a fundamental understanding"" of charge storage, transport and transfer mechanisms and developing new experimental techniques that directly probe relevant physic"s and chemistry in high temperature fuel cells. These studies will employ operando optical methods developed by the principal investigators together with traditional electrochemical characterization to correlate material changes occurring on SOFC electrodes with e"lectrochemical performance and fuel conversion efficiency. Results will provide real-time, spatially resolved data that identify whe""re and how quickly chemical change happens on the device electrodes and how these changes depend on temperature, applied potential a"nd incident gas phase fuel composition. Additional work will continue to develop new operando methods having improved sensitivity and materials selectivity. Specific tasks include the following:~ Develop new operando optical methods capable of identifying heads"pace species, and measuring electrode surface oxidation and surface potentials.~ Characterize and quantify temperature and concent"ration dependent chlorine-induced degradationmechanisms in Ni-based SOFC electrodes operating with carbon containing fuels.~ Identify sulfur induced degradation mechanisms in Ni-based SOFC anodes and comparediscoveries with findings from chlorine studies to establish if anode degradation pathways aregeneral or contaminant specific.~ Identify sulfur induced degradation mechanisms on LSM cathodes and study remediationstrategies.~ Examine carbon tolerance and durability of SOFC electrodes operating with reformate m"ixturesformed from logistics fuels.Work will be performed at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL, Dr. Jeff Owrutsky), Montana Stat""eUniversity (MSU, Professor Rob Walker) and the University of Maryland-College Park (UMCP, ProfessorBryan Eichhorn). The PI~s will" closely coordinate their activities so that results from IR imaging and emission studies (NRL) can be compared directly to data from vibrational Raman experiments (MSU) and from high pressure XPS experiments (UMCP).
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 2017
- Source ID
- N000141712760
Entities
People
- Bryan W Eichhorn
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy
- University of Maryland