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 andEnergy Focus Area including improved means for providing reliable electrical power and greater energyefficiency. The proposed work al"so reflects goals of ONR~s Electrochemical Materials Program (Code33, Division 332), namely developing a fundamental understanding"" of charge storage, transport andtransfer mechanisms and developing new experimental techniques that directly probe relevant physic"s andchemistry in high temperature fuel cells. These studies will employ operando optical methods developedby the principal investigators together with traditional electrochemical characterization to correlatematerial changes occurring on SOFC electrodes with e"lectrochemical performance and fuel conversionefficiency. Results will provide real-time, spatially resolved data that identify whe""re and how quicklychemical change happens on the device electrodes and how these changes depend on temperature, appliedpotential 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 headspa"ce species, and measuringelectrode surface oxidation and surface potentials.~ Characterize and quantify temperature and concentrat"ion 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.~ Examine carbon tolerance and durability of SOFC electrodes" operating with reformate mixturesformed from logistics fuels.Work will be performed at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL, Dr. J""eff Owrutsky), Montana StateUniversity (MSU, Professor Rob Walker) and the University of Maryland-College Park (UMCP,Professor Bry"an Eichhorn). The PI~s will closely coordinate their activities so that results from IRimaging and emission studies (NRL) can be compared directly to data from vibrational Ramanexperiments (MSU) and from high pressure XPS experiments (UMCP).
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Sep 29, 2017
- Source ID
- N000141712808
Entities
People
- Robert A Walker
Organizations
- Montana State University
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy