Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Systems are being developed and manufactured by a number of Companies worldwide. Opportunities to form partnerships with companies developing solid oxide fuel cell technology can be accessed here.
Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC’s) have a solid ceramic electrolyte, surrounded by anode and cathode electrodes. SOFCs are not sensitive to carbon monoxide, operate at high temperatures, and can run on a variety fuels.
Characteristics of solid oxide fuel cells include:
Required Fuel: Natural Gas, Hydrogen, Propane, Biogas, other hydrocarbon fuels
Operating Temperature: 650°C to 1000°C
Efficiency: Up to 50% electrical efficiency with more than 80% total efficiency with cogeneration (also called Combined Heat and Power)
Applications: SOFC Systems for Residential Applications, are in advanced stages of development. There are also a number of Companies Developing Industrial Scale SOFC Systems. SOFC technology is suited to Combined Heat and Power Applications, Primary Power Applications and certain Portable Power Applications. There is also strong consideration for SOFC use in automotive sectors, powering auxiliary power units (APU) to power the electrical needs of vehicles, whereas PEM Fuel Cells are being developed for primary propulsion systems.
Commercial viability: SOFC technology is being developed by many companies worldwide, and certain companies have products at advanced stages of commercialisation. SOFC’s for residential applications in the 1KW+ power range are currently at more advanced stages of commercialisation than larger 100KW to multi-megawatt systems.
Chemical Equations:
Anode Reactions: H2 + O2- »» H2O + 2e-
CO + O2- »» CO2 + 2e-
Cathode Reaction: O2 + 4e- »» 2O2- |
