Center for Advanced Materials University of Houston NASA Research Partnership Center CAM Thin Film Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Storage Materials for Solar Energy Application Alex Ignatiev 1,2, Ainur Issova 2, Mukhtar Eleuov 2 1 Center for Advanced Materials University of Houston, Houston, TX Institute for Physics and Technology Almaty, Kazakhstan Almaty, 2011

Center for Advanced Materials University of Houston NASA Research Partnership Center CAM Solar Energy Utilization Sunlight Required Energy Storage Needed for Nighttime and Cloudy Operation Store Energy in Hydrogen.. Electrolyze Water Utilize Hydrogen Fuel Efficiently

Center for Advanced Materials University of Houston NASA Research Partnership Center CAM Liquid Cold – 22K 5 wt% - Adequate EXPENSIVE….. Hydrogen Storage Options Gas High Pressure bar 2-3 wt% - Too Little Hydrogen High Pressure Danger Hydrides ~ 1 wt% - Too Little Hydrogen in Cycle

Center for Advanced Materials University of Houston NASA Research Partnership Center CAM Volume for Storage of 5 kg H 2 in Different States (Equivalent to 20 L Gasoline) No Effective way of Storing Hydrogen….. Polymer Nanostructures…. ??

Center for Advanced Materials University of Houston NASA Research Partnership Center CAM Nanostructured Polymers Polyanaline Nanotubes Conducting Polymers Nanotube pores High surface area Polyaniline Nanotubes

Center for Advanced Materials University of Houston NASA Research Partnership Center CAM PANI  wt% H 2 Uptake Tested to 12+ Cycles-no deg Polyaniline (PANI) Charge & Discharge Charge at 300psi for 2 hours Multiple Charge – Discharge Cycles Mass Spectrometer Read-out Good Hydrogen Storage and Cycling

Center for Advanced Materials University of Houston NASA Research Partnership Center CAM Volume for Storage of 5 kg H 2 in Different States (Equivalent to 20 L Gasoline) Polyaniline Polyaniline - Promising Hydrogen Storage System

Center for Advanced Materials University of Houston NASA Research Partnership Center CAM Efficient Use of Hydrogen Fuel Hydrogen for Transportation Internal Combustion Engine Not Use – Explosive Reaction Still form NO x Use Fuel Cell Electrochemical Reaction OK - No NO x formed….. Only WATER….

Center for Advanced Materials University of Houston NASA Research Partnership Center CAM What is a Fuel Cell? A device that generates electricity by combining fuel and oxygen in an electrochemical reaction. Advantages High energy conversion efficiency Minimal environmental impact Stackable to reach very high power output Reduced noise level 1/2O21/2O2 H2OH2O 2e - Fuel Oxidant Anode Electrolyte Cathode 2e - O 2- H2H2

Center for Advanced Materials University of Houston NASA Research Partnership Center CAM Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Hydrogen and oxygen reactants ZrO 3 electrolyte Nickel anode Operating temperature is °C Encapsulation materials challenges High materials costs But, High Efficiency > 60% High market cost How to Reduce market cost …. ??

Center for Advanced Materials University of Houston NASA Research Partnership Center CAM Apply Thin Film Materials Expertise to SOFC Challenges Develop New Design: Thin Film Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Thin Film Heterostructure Design - Thin electrolyte- lower temperature operation - Atomically ordered films/interfaces- lower resistance Microelectronics Processing - Economies of Scale Lower Fabrication Cost Smaller Size Lower Cost

Center for Advanced Materials University of Houston NASA Research Partnership Center CAM Thin Film SOFC Heterostructure Growth Thin Film Atomically Ordered YSZ Electrolyte Reduce Internal Defects Reduce Interface Defects Epitaxial Growth Pulsed Laser Deposition of Epitaxial YSZ Film on Crystalline Nickel Foil Substrate

Center for Advanced Materials University of Houston NASA Research Partnership Center CAM Thin Film Heterostructure Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Total Cell Thickness ~  m thick Porous LaSrCoO 3 Cathode ~ 1  m thick Yttria Stabilized Zirconia Thin Film Electrolyte ~  m thick Nickel Anode ~20  m thick Fuel Oxygen/Air Ni Foil Anode NOT Porous

Center for Advanced Materials University of Houston NASA Research Partnership Center CAM Electrochemically Etched Nickel Anode 60  m Etched Pores Nickel Side Electro-etch Ni Porosity - Microelectronics Photolithography / Etching

Center for Advanced Materials University of Houston NASA Research Partnership Center CAM TFSOFC I vs. V as a Function of Temperature Hydrogen / Air - Polycrystalline Single Cell Thin Film Micro SOFC

Center for Advanced Materials University of Houston NASA Research Partnership Center CAM Solid Oxide Fuel Cells Have Nickel Anodes Nickel Excellent Catalyst for Hydrocarbon Reduction BUT…….‘Coking’ at High Temperatures…. > 600 C Thin Film Heterostructure SOFC Advancement However… Micro Fuel Cell Operates at 500 C – NO Coking…! Hydrocarbon Fuel Operation at ~60% Efficiency…. Methane/Methanol Ethane/Ethanol

Center for Advanced Materials University of Houston NASA Research Partnership Center CAM Thin Film Fuel Cell Stack Require ~ 100V to 200V Operation Series Connection of Cell Elements Interconnect Required Stack Individual Cells Together in Series Work in Collaboration with Institute for Physics and Technology, Almaty Advance Technology Finalize Product Technology Transfer Economic Growth

Center for Advanced Materials University of Houston NASA Research Partnership Center CAM Thin Film Fuel Cell Stack Components Cell Element Oxidant Flow Fuel Flow Interconnect

Center for Advanced Materials University of Houston NASA Research Partnership Center CAM Fuel Cell Stack Design (In Progress) TFSOFC Micro-patterned Interconnect cathode electrolyte anode Fuel flow Oxidant flow Thin Film Heterostructure SOFC Advancement Projected > 5W/cm 3 at ~500 o C

Center for Advanced Materials University of Houston NASA Research Partnership Center CAM Summary A New Thin Film Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Design Efficient, Clean, Compact and Cost Efficient Low Temperature Operation Direct Use of Hydrocarbon Fuel Natural Gas Hydrogen from Dissociation of Water…???? Distributed Energy Automotive Energy Strategy for Efficient, Clean Electrical Energy Generation