PNNL

Abstract

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is collaborating with government agencies, industries, and academic institutions to develop the technology and knowledge base for SOFC power generation systems capable of near term applications in small distributed generation, mobile auxiliary power and man portable units as well as long term applications in large centralized SOFC/turbine hybrid and reversible power plants operating on coal. R&D activities at PNNL include materials development, analysis of cell and stack performance degradation processes, cell/stack/system modeling and design optimization, and liquid and gaseous hydrocarbon fuel processing. Our technical activities address a wide range of challenges, such as long-term performance stability, cell/stack structural reliability, and low cost fabrication processes. Recent materials work has focused on the development of improved electrode materials and understanding of electrode poisoning processes in the presence of gas phase Cr, interconnect materials and electronically conductive corrosion-tolerant coatings capable of blocking Cr diffusion, and glass seal materials with improved structural properties. Modeling activities have emphasized improving the understanding of cell/stack degradation/failure mechanisms to assist development of larger active area cells and associated thermal management issues. Fuel processing activities include evaluation and optimization of on-cell reforming and related thermal management strategies in smaller and larger foot print stacks, and development of fuel desulphurization technology. In addition to performing R&D in a number of SOFC-related areas, PNNL is a co-leader (along with the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL)) of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solid-State Energy Conversion Alliance (SECA) initiative. This paper will summarize the status of current R&D activities at PNNL.