FUEL 201 |
| SOFC technology development in recent years has been strongly stimulated by the US DOE SECA program. SECA's success in achieving its Phase I objectives, such as cost reduction, on schedule may cause one to forget that MCFC technology, now dependent largely on private funding, has also progressed steadily and that cost reduction has been significant. Large-scale commercialization of both fuel cells, especially in the cogeneration market, remains possible or even plausible, however, its chances are highly dependent on a favorable long-term energy policy. Improvements in electrochemical performance have been impressive but further progress, especially in diversification and stability of materials, depends on expanding fundamental knowledge. Not surprisingly, some of that fundamental knowledge is specific to each fuel cell (for example, wetting and wet corrosion for MCFC, metal/ceramic and ceramic/glass interactions for SOFC). But, perhaps surprisingly, there is a considerable degree of commonality in other critical areas of basic knowledge. Examples of these common areas are oxygen reduction mechanisms and kinetics, and of course the stability of nano- and micro-composites used as electrodes. However, direct anodic oxidation of CO and CH4 at relatively low temperature is also among these topics. |
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Fuel Cell Technology: High Temperature Fuel Cells, SOFC and MCFC
8:00 AM-12:25 PM, Wednesday, August 22, 2007 Boston Park Plaza -- Cambridge Rm, Oral
Division of Fuel Chemistry |