Oxide Fuel Cell Manufacturers Worldwide

Although fuel cells have been invented centuries ago, and they have also been utilized in a number of NASA missions since the sixties, they have yet to gain a practical application in the modern world mainly due to their very high cost. However, today, more and more oxide fuel cell manufacturers are emerging and harnessing the potential of fuel cell for a variety of practical applications. One of the most common applications for oxide fuel cell technology in the modern world is generating cost-efficient electric power for commercially used vehicles. Oxide fuel cells are also utilized for the creation of stationary power along with some military applications.

Also, referred as SOFC, solid oxide fuel cells are capable of converting chemical energy into conventional fuel that generates electrical power with minimal emissions. And because fuel cells are designed to have minimal moving parts, they are capable of operating with minimum noise.

More manufacturers are now harnessing the true green potential of oxide fuel cells. In that regard, here are some of the manufacturers employing the use of oxide fuel cell  technology when creating their products:

Bloom Energy

This company aims to change the way the world consumes and use energy. Bloom Energy produces power generation systems that make use of fuel cell technology. The company focuses in creating green energy solutions by harnessing power from alternative energy sources, like the fuel cell. In fact, Bloom Energy’s Energy Services are known to be one of the most efficient power generators on the planet today. The power generator they manufacture are capable of significantly lowering greenhouse gas emissions while at the same time reducing the cost of electric consumption. Headquartered in the city of Sunnyvale in California, Bloom Energy is known for manufacturing on-site power generation powered by fuel cell technology.

Brazil H2 Fuel Cell Energy

Known as a leading company in Brazil, Brazil H2 Fuel Cell Technology is devoted to the hydrogen and fuel cell market. Their main business is to educate people about the green benefits of using fuel cell and hydrogen in power generation. The company has introduced fuel cell and hydrogen technologies in the country and continues to seek for opportunities of using fuel cells and hydrogen in Brazil.

Hosokawa Micron Group

Headquartered on Shoudai Tajika in Hirakata-Shi, the company manufactures fuel cell-related products such as low temp operation SOFC, Nobilta, and SOFC materials (NiO-YSZ composite powder). The company is responsible for creating FC products that focus on product recovery, powder/particle processing and air pollution control.

Wartsila Corporation

This Finnish company is a reputable supplier of lifetime care services, operation and power plants in decentralized fuel cell power generation systems. Wartsalia is known for providing global care services to ship machineries acquired by their clients.

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Practical Applications for the Oxide Fuel Cell

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are technology designed to convert chemical energy into heat and electricity with low pollution and high efficiency.  SOFCs are considered to be the leading fuel cell system that is made up of ceramic materials such as zirconia.

The advantages of using SOFCs include the following:

• Carbon dioxide and hydrogen are used as fuels.
• The SOFC can use a number of hydrocarbon fuels like diesel, gasoline, alcohol and natural gas without having to reform the fuel used into pure hydrogen.
• This has potentially lower costs because there is no need to use precious metals in the conversion process. The cost is definitely higher in other fuel cells that use platinum as a catalyst to the proton exchange. Some other fuel cells that use liquid electrolytes could lead to corrosion of components.
• SOFC is easier to maintain because it is in its solid state.

Meanwhile, practical Applications of the Solid Oxide Fuel Cells include the following:

-  For power and heat generation in businesses and residential areas.

-  Auxiliary power units for the electrical systems of vehicles.

-  SOFC can be used with a gas turbine to generate second source of electricity with the high pressure and heat of the fuel cell.

-  SOFC can also be used in industrial processing and space heating.

-  Solid oxide fuels are known to create fewer pollutants.Their cleanliness and compact size make them ideal for urban settings such as Tokyo.

-  Mobile power generation can also be propelled with the use of solid oxide fuel cells.

SOFC technology varies from other fuel cells because it is made of all-solid materials from the cathode, anode and electrolytes. SOFCs operate at temperatures that are extremely high from 500 to 1,000 degrees Celsius (1,800 degrees Fahrenheit). These produce exhaust gases that can be used in combination with heat. The SOFCs also have different configurations such as flat planes (planar), rolled tubes (tubular) and other designs.

The most common materials used for the solid oxide electrolyte are zirconia and yttria that serve to enable the transport of the oxygen ions. The hard ceramic is formed as a crystal lattice and coated with specialized porous electrode ingredients.

Solid oxide fuel cells are attractive candidates for working with gas turbines in a hybrid configuration. Their high pressure can be used to spin the turbine and generate additional electricity for a number of establishments and structures. The first solid oxide fuel cell and gas turbine hybrid system in the world was tested by Siemens.

 

 

 

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What is a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell?

In the field of electricity, there are so many concepts and objects that you need to get familiar to, and one of these is the solid oxide fuel cell, also known as SOFC. SOFC is basically a type of electrochemical device designed to produce electricity from fuel oxidation. It features a ceramic or solid oxide electrolyte. Long-term stability, high efficiency, fuel flexibility, low cost and low emissions are just some of the benefits that we can get from using solid oxide fuel cells. On the downside, SOFC has a high operating temperature that can lead to longer start-ups, chemical and even mechanical compatibility problems.

SOFCs are fuel cells that are characterized by using solid oxide as their electrolyte to handle negative oxygen ions from the cathode and transfer them to the anode. On the anode, electrochemical oxygen ions oxidation takes place with carbon monoxide or hydrogen. In the more recent years, proton-conducting SOFCs, also referred as PC-SOFC, are being developed in order to carry protons to the electrolyte in place of the oxygen ions. This was done to decrease the temperature as compared to using traditional SOFCs.

Solid oxide fuel cells work at extremely high temperatures ranging from 500 to 1000 degrees Celsius. SOFCs do not need platinum catalysts at these temperatures. The chances to incur sulfur poisoning is possible when using SOFCs , and so the sulfur content must be removed first before it enters the cell with the use of adsorbent beds or other materials.

Light hydrocarbon fuels like propane, butane and methane can be internally created within the anode at high temperatures. The SOFCs can be fueled as well by recreating heavier hydrocarbons like diesel, jet fuel, biofuel and gasoline. Mixtures of carbon monoxide, hydrogen, steam, methane and carbon dioxide are the reformates formed by the reaction of the hydrocarbon fuels with steam or air in the upstream device within the SOFC’s anode C. The power systems of the fuel cell can level up the efficiency with the use of heat from the exothermic electrochemical oxidation.

With these fuel cells, people can have a wide selection of applications from auxiliary power units in cars and other vehicles to power generation to create 100W to 2 MW output. Unlike other fuel cells, SOFCs have a number of geometries. These are the planar fuel cell (sandwich type geometry), tubular geometry and the modified planar fuel cell. These fuels cells feature good designs that serve the primary purpose of creating energy or electricity.

 

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