Solid Oxide Fuel Cell - SOFC is solution? With the high price of oil and we may run out of oil in the future, we cannot rely on oil as the fuel to generate power. Fuel cell is now become alternative energy source for both vehicle and building.
Fuel cell uses hydrogen as the fuel to generate electricity. It works by chemical reaction with two electrodes they called it cathode and anode where the reaction take place. The basic fuel of fuel cell is hydrogen, but oxygen is also needed for the reaction. To carry particles that electrically charged from one electrode to another, electrolyte is used. Fuel cell also needs catalyst for faster reactions.
Many fuel cell types are available and they characterized by electrolyte used on the fuel cell. From many type, solid oxide fuel cell or SOFC is believed as the best option for efficiency, effectiveness, and low cost.
From the name solid oxide, we can instantly know that the electrolyte used is solid oxide. Ceramic compound of oxide is used as electrolyte. It is commonly calcium or zirconium. Negative oxygen ions from cathode are conducted to anode where oxidation reaction with hydrogen occurs.
Solid electrolyte is the key of benefit from this fuel cell. Using liquid as the electrolyte may cause leak on the fuel cell that lead to many problems. Leak will damage the fuel cell and other things near that you cannot use it again. That is not the only problem. Liquid electrolyte such as phosphoric acid is dangerous for your health. You should not touch and breathe it. However, even the solid could not leak, it could crack.
SOFC is high temperature operation that could be advantage as well as disadvantage for the fuel cell. High temperature operation makes it suitable for heat engine. The high temperature is the reason of fuel flexibility. Several hydrocarbon fuels can be used both light and heavy. The examples of light hydrocarbon fuel for SOFC are methane, propane, and butane. When it fueled by heavy hydrocarbon such as gasoline, bio-fuels, jet fuel, or diesel, it should be externally reformed. The disadvantages of high temperature operation are long time to start up and when incompatible with engine that could not deal with high temperature.
The other benefits of sofc fuel cell are efficiency for about 60%, long-term stability, low emission, and inexpensive electrodes and catalyst. Several fuel cells require platinum as the catalyst, especially for low temperature fuel cell such as PEM. SOFC does not need it. The inexpensive electrodes and the fact that platinum catalyst material is not needed, make it so popular since price and operation cost always become main parameter when you choose anything.
To find solution for the problem you find when using SOFC, scientist make other researches. They are now developing Proton Conducting SOFC that the conducted ions are not negative oxygen ions but protons. The benefit of Proton Conducting SOFC is the fuel cell could be run at lower temperature. It will eliminate various problem come from high temperature operation.
Fuel cell, including SOFC is great alternative for power source. Many buildings all around the world, especially on the isolated area use fuel cell. From residential, commercial, to industrial use fuel cell. Some of them use it as primary power source and the other use it as backup. Today, SOFC is also very popular to being developed in automobile industry. The companies such as Delphi Automotive System and Roll Royce are developing low temperature SOFC for their automobile products. The main reason of using fuel cell on vehicle is reducing emission for green living. Many more applications are using SOFC as the power source.
Fuel cell uses hydrogen as the fuel to generate electricity. It works by chemical reaction with two electrodes they called it cathode and anode where the reaction take place. The basic fuel of fuel cell is hydrogen, but oxygen is also needed for the reaction. To carry particles that electrically charged from one electrode to another, electrolyte is used. Fuel cell also needs catalyst for faster reactions.
Many fuel cell types are available and they characterized by electrolyte used on the fuel cell. From many type, solid oxide fuel cell or SOFC is believed as the best option for efficiency, effectiveness, and low cost.
From the name solid oxide, we can instantly know that the electrolyte used is solid oxide. Ceramic compound of oxide is used as electrolyte. It is commonly calcium or zirconium. Negative oxygen ions from cathode are conducted to anode where oxidation reaction with hydrogen occurs.
Solid electrolyte is the key of benefit from this fuel cell. Using liquid as the electrolyte may cause leak on the fuel cell that lead to many problems. Leak will damage the fuel cell and other things near that you cannot use it again. That is not the only problem. Liquid electrolyte such as phosphoric acid is dangerous for your health. You should not touch and breathe it. However, even the solid could not leak, it could crack.
SOFC is high temperature operation that could be advantage as well as disadvantage for the fuel cell. High temperature operation makes it suitable for heat engine. The high temperature is the reason of fuel flexibility. Several hydrocarbon fuels can be used both light and heavy. The examples of light hydrocarbon fuel for SOFC are methane, propane, and butane. When it fueled by heavy hydrocarbon such as gasoline, bio-fuels, jet fuel, or diesel, it should be externally reformed. The disadvantages of high temperature operation are long time to start up and when incompatible with engine that could not deal with high temperature.
The other benefits of sofc fuel cell are efficiency for about 60%, long-term stability, low emission, and inexpensive electrodes and catalyst. Several fuel cells require platinum as the catalyst, especially for low temperature fuel cell such as PEM. SOFC does not need it. The inexpensive electrodes and the fact that platinum catalyst material is not needed, make it so popular since price and operation cost always become main parameter when you choose anything.
To find solution for the problem you find when using SOFC, scientist make other researches. They are now developing Proton Conducting SOFC that the conducted ions are not negative oxygen ions but protons. The benefit of Proton Conducting SOFC is the fuel cell could be run at lower temperature. It will eliminate various problem come from high temperature operation.
Fuel cell, including SOFC is great alternative for power source. Many buildings all around the world, especially on the isolated area use fuel cell. From residential, commercial, to industrial use fuel cell. Some of them use it as primary power source and the other use it as backup. Today, SOFC is also very popular to being developed in automobile industry. The companies such as Delphi Automotive System and Roll Royce are developing low temperature SOFC for their automobile products. The main reason of using fuel cell on vehicle is reducing emission for green living. Many more applications are using SOFC as the power source.
