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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

The Effect of Operational Temperature on the Performance and Durability of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells and Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) and solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOEC) have received great interest due to their highly effective reversibility as power generation and H2 production system without releasing any greenhouse gases into environment. The LSCF electrode exhibits a higher structural and performance stability under both SOFC and SOEC operation due to its mixed ionic and electronic conductivity, and there is no immediate delamination taking place during the initial several hundred hours operation. However, the LSCF based air electrode still presents significant performance degradation (with the increased resistance) over the prolonged operation, such as over 1000 hours of operation under SOFC and SOEC. The influence factors for the cell’s performance and stability need to be optimized to improve the power generation for SOFC and H2 production for SOEC. The effects of operational temperature on the performance and durability for both SOFC and SOEC are electrochemical operation dependent. The performance and performance durability for the first 1500h were currently studied under optimized operational temperature for reversible SOFC/SOEC.

Fan, Yueying [NETL Site Support Contractor, Nation↗
DOE OSTI2024

Market optimization and technoeconomic analysis of hydrogen-electricity coproduction systems

Decarbonization efforts across North America, Europe, and beyond rely on variable renewable energy sources such as wind and solar, as well as alternative fuels, such as hydrogen, to support the sustainable energy transition. These advancements have prompted a need for more flexibility in the electric grid to complement non-dispatchable energy sources and increased demand from electrification. Integrated energy systems are well suited to provide this flexibility, but conventional technoeconomic modeling paradigms neglect the time-varying dynamic nature of the grid and thus undervalue resource flexibility. In this work, we develop a computational optimization framework for dynamic market-based technoeconomic comparison of integrated energy systems that coproduce low-carbon electricity and hydrogen (e.g., solid oxide fuel cells, solid oxide electrolysis) against technologies that only produce electricity (e.g., natural gas combined cycle with carbon capture) or only produce hydrogen. Our framework starts with rigorous physics-based process models, built in the open-source Institute for the Design of Advanced Energy Systems (IDAES) modeling and optimization platform, for six energy process concepts. Using these rigorous models and a workflow to optimally design each technology, the framework is shown to be capable of evaluating new and emerging technologies in varying energy markets under a plethora of future scenarios (i.e., renewables penetration, carbon tax, etc.). Ultimately, our framework finds that solid oxide fuel cell-based coproduction systems achieve positive profits for 85% of the analyzed market scenarios. From these market optimization results, we use multivariate linear regression (R 2 values up to 0.99) to determine which electricity price statistics are most significant to predict the optimized annual profit of each system. The proposed framework provides a powerful tool for directly comparing flexible, multi-product energy process concepts to help discern optimal technology and integration options.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2025

FCET Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Testing and Development (CRADA 526) (Final Report)

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) tested electrolyte coatings from Fuel Cell Enabling Technologies, Inc. (FCET) for use in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). The key technology held by FCET is a process to deposit thin layers of oxide materials, less than 1 μm in thickness. The range of possible materials that can be deposited with their method is broad, but this project focused on the gadolinium-doped ceria (GDC) and yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) electrolytes for SOFCs. Thin, gas tight electrolyte membranes have been a long-sought target in SOFC research. The thinner the electrolyte, the lower the cell resistance, and the higher performance of the cell (or the lower the operating temperature). A YSZ thickness of 1 μm would be a step change from the state-of-the-art, tape-cast electrolytes (~10 μm). An in-house prototype SOFC stack from FCET was first tested. The sealing geometry of the prototype stack was determined to be problematic, and testing shifted to button cells. Anode-supported solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) button cells without an electrolyte layer were produced at PNNL and sent to FCET for coating with electrolyte. Three cells were tested with a gadolinium-doped ceria (GDC) electrolyte applied via spin coating. GDC was chosen for its conductivity at lower temperatures than YSZ. All three cells failed during initial reduction under hydrogen at 600°C. Testing then shifted to YSZ, which is the standard SOFC electrolyte. Several button cells were coated with YSZ and examined with scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A promising coating of ~1 mm thickness was observed under SEM. A similarly coated button cell was tested and failed similarly to previous tests during reduction at 600°C. The YSZ coating appeared dense and uniform in SEM analysis. The roughness of the underlying Ni/YSZ anode is on the order of 1 μm, and that may have compromised the gas-tightness of the coating. Further development is warranted to understand and refine the coating process. Thin YSZ applied via this spin-coating technique could be used as a low-cost, drop-in replacement in large-scale SOFC manufacturing processes, improving cell performance and lowering the cost per watt of SOFCs.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗
DOE OSTI2025

Flexible Nuclear-Based Integrated Energy System

Presentation on a conceptual study of combining a small modular nuclear reactor (SMR) with a solid oxide fuel cell, solid oxide electrolysis cell, and a gas turbine as an integrated energy system with high operational flexibility and rapid load following. Virtually presented at the MILLENNIUM CLEAN and SUSTAINABLE POWER workshop 2025, University of Genoa, Italy.

flexibility↗
DOE OSTI2024

Improving Cost and Efficiency of the Scalable Solid Oxide Fuel Cells Power System

The objective of this project was to design and develop a 20kW range small-scale solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) power system for applications such as data centers and commercial buildings. The original plan included a 5,000 hours demonstration and a Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA) which were dropped as part of project termination. The original project plan was to use a stack with a cross-flow cell design which had previously been tested for 500 hours at a community college in Malta, NY. However, it was decided to move to the advanced R-SOFC co-flow cell developed under Department of Energy Award DE-FE0031971. The advanced cell design has the advantage of a larger active area for the same manufacturing footprint which results in fewer required cells for the same stack power, hence a higher volumetric power density (kW/L) and lower cost per kW than the original cross-flow cell design. A full SOFC system Simulink model was developed and calibrated with testing data from a fuel cell stack and BOP (balance of plant) components. The simulation results from the calibrated model showed an acceptable match with the experimental data. A structural analysis conducted for various load scenarios indicated no high stress areas for all spatial directions. Major electrical system components were acquired, built and successfully tested. System sensors were verified and validated against controls. Safety checks, a diagnostic check, PID tuning, and control software commissioning tasks were also conducted. The power electronics prototype was delivered and trial testing completed. Balance of Plant component testing and simulation work was conducted to characterize Reformer-Heat Exchanger heat transfer and backpressure and reformer catalyst methane conversion and product selectivity. Simulations were conducted to design the Anode and Cathode fluid passages and size the air-air and fuel-fuel heat exchangers. A Burner operation map was created from test data and the Anode Gas Recirculation blower was tested to evaluate its durability. The SOFC system used a horizontal style design where components sit directly on a casting with a direct connection to the skid. This design has efficient packaging and a small footprint with approximate dimensions of 750 mm x 700 mm x 1700 mm. An SOFC system was built and successfully tested at the Malta, NY facility The system for over 500 hours under load of which over 300 hours was at full load of 20 kW.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗
DOE OSTI2026

Integration of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Systems Into Artificial Intelligence Data Centers

This report presents the results of a techno-economic analysis (TEA) that evaluates the economic benefits of integrating solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) systems with artificial intelligence (AI) data centers. The analysis was completed in two phases: a scoping-level analysis was performed to identify impactful integration opportunities, followed by a more detailed TEA. Results show that, due to their modularity, SOFC can meet the 99.999% availability requirement of data centers with minimal additional costs. Heat integration via absorption chillers decreases data center electricity consumption at the tradeoff of increased water consumption. Higher SOFC exhaust temperatures are important for achieving larger electricity savings. Finally, power electronics integration with SOFC direct current electricity can reduce electricity consumption by 9 percent and reduce water consumption by 6.4 percent.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2025

Dusty Gas Model for Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Fuel Electrode

This model applies the Dusty Gas Model simulate multi-component species transport in SOFC (solid oxide fuel cell) anodes which considers the pressure gradient across the fuel electrode. This studyhas been verified with the analytical solution for different fuel electrode thicknesses and with literature values. The model was developed using the VoronoiFVM platform in Julia which is a built in implicit and semi implicit solver that integrates electrochemical behavior, microstructural effects, and transient analysis for accurate prediction of species transport under varying conditions.

dusty gas model (DGM)↗
DOE OSTI2026

Roll-to-Roll Manufacturing of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

The overall goal of this project is to develop a high-volume electrode electrolyte assembly (EEA) production capability to significantly increase throughput of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) manufacturing and reduce the cost while maintaining the same level of performance. Specifically, four approaches will be adopted: 1) optimization of the lamination process and correlation of the EEA properties and performance with the lamination conditions; 2) scale up of the lamination process and demonstration of >10 ft of EEA; 3) further increase of the EEA throughput via slot-die coating and demonstration of > 5 m/min in coating the thick anode layer; and 4) minimization of the anode thickness to reduce material cost.

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗
DOE OSTI2025

System Analysis of an Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) - Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) Hybrid Cycle

The variability of renewable energy sources poses challenges for reliable grid operation. Conventional thermal power sources, though reliable, often lack operational flexibility. Hybrid energy systems that integrate Solid Oxide Fuel cells (SOFC) with Internal Combustion Engines (ICE) offer a promising solution by achieving relatively higher efficiency and grid-following capability. This study investigates performance of a 100-kW pressurized SOFC-ICE hybrid cycle. In this configuration, unutilized SOFC fuel is used to drive the engine, with a turbocharger providing air supply and an external reformer generating syngas. System components were numerically modeled using MATLAB/SIMULINK for the SOFC and reformer, and EBSILON® for the ICE and balance of plant. Parametric studies varied fuel utilization (70-90%), reformer temperature (600 – 1000K), anode off-gas recirculation (0 – 70%), and current density (0.2 – 0.55 A/cm2). Results show that the SOFC and ICE operate as thermally independent topping and bottoming cycles, achieving peak efficiency of 62% under optimized conditions.

hybrid↗
DOE OSTI2025

Developing Stable Critical Materials and Microstructure for High-Flux and Efficient Hydrogen Production through Reversible Solid Oxide Cells

Reversible Solid Oxide Cells (RSOCs), which operate as either Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) or Solid Oxide Electrolytic Cells (SOECs), hold great promise for clean, high-efficiency energy conversion and hydrogen production. However, their commercial potential is hindered by stability issues arising from temperature-induced materials degradation. While substantial progress has been made in developing durable, reduced-temperature SOFCs - bringing them closer to commercial deployment, SOECs still exhibit substantially higher degradation rates at both the cell and stack levels under practical operating conditions.

08 HYDROGEN↗
DOE OSTI2026

Economic NMPC for a Reversible Solid Oxide Cell

Reversible solid oxide fuel cells (rSOCs) offer the flexibility to operate in tandem with the electric grid by switching between fuel cell and electrolysis modes based on real-time electricity prices. However, their complex, tightly coupled dynamic behavior poses significant challenges in determining optimal operating strategies. In this work, we present an economic nonlinear model predictive control (E-NMPC) framework to optimize the operation of rSOCs. The proposed E-NMPC is applied to a detailed rSOC flowsheet model that includes a utility scale rSOC module as well as balance-of-plant equipment necessary for thermal management. Our results demonstrate that in fuel cell mode, the E-NMPC strategy reduces hydrogen consumption compared to conventional set-point tracking NMPC, while maintaining the same level of electricity output. Also, in electrolysis mode, the E-NMPC yields a marginal improvement in hydrogen production. In addition, we explore the integration of a battery with the rSOC system to enhance flexibility in meeting electricity production and consumption targets.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Simultaneously improved reversibility and hydrogen production of solid oxide cells through infiltrating air electrode

Among the various fuel cells, solid oxide cells (SOCs) are the unique type that can principally operate reversibly as either fuel cells to produce electricity or as an electrolyser to split water and produce green hydrogen (H 2 ). Nevertheless, the SOCs' reversibility presents enormous challenges that are manifested by the fast degradation through the cycling between fuel cell and electrolysis mode. While the La 0.8 Sr 0.2 MnO 3 /yttria-stabilized zirconia (LSM/YSZ) air electrode possesses significant advantages in terms of high electrical conductivity and high thermal stability under fuel cell mode, the SOCs with the LSM/YSZ air electrode experience rapid performance degradation with catastrophic electrode delamination shortly after switching from fuel cell to electrolysis mode. To prevent such catastrophic delamination and enable the electrolysis H 2 production, a chemical solution with the designed chemistry of SrFe 2 O 4-d was infiltrated into the LSM/YSZ air electrode. The infiltration immediately mitigates the catastrophic delamination, and the infiltrated cells exhibit significantly improved reversibility upon the electrochemical operation. Nanostructure examination reveals nanoscale cracks and second-phase nanograins formed in the air electrode from the baseline cell. By contrast, no delamination was observed at either the micron or the nanoscale for the infiltrated cell, which is attributed to the increased ion conductivity of the Fe-doped LSM mixed conductor induced by the significant interdiffusion between the LSM backbone and infiltrates. Here, this study presents a viable method for preventing electrode delamination while enhancing the durability of H 2 production and power generation for reversible fuel cell/electrolysis cell operation. It further opens new research directions of modifying the electrochemical activity of the electrode of inherently functional cells through the infiltration of the solutions with different chemistry.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2025

3D Multiphysics Model for Large Scale Planar Cell: Inductance Investigation in Impedance Analysis

Developed a comprehensive 3D multiphysics model to analyze impedance behavior in large-scale planar Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs). The model investigates how impedance varies across operating conditions and cell components, with a particular focus on inductive loops or negative capacitance at the air electrode. It was found that the Inductive loop disappears in the low-frequency zone when the activation overpotential or faradic current is not temperature-dependent. These findings offer new insights into SOFC impedance behavior.

impedence analysis↗
DOE OSTI2024

Simulating hindered grain boundary diffusion using the smoothed boundary method

Abstract Grain boundaries can greatly affect the transport properties of polycrystalline materials, particularly when the grain size approaches the nanoscale. While grain boundaries often enhance diffusion by providing a fast pathway for chemical transport, some material systems, such as those of solid oxide fuel cells and battery cathode particles, exhibit the opposite behavior, where grain boundaries act to hinder diffusion. To facilitate the study of systems with hindered grain boundary diffusion, we propose a model that utilizes the smoothed boundary method to simulate the dynamic concentration evolution in polycrystalline systems. The model employs domain parameters with diffuse interfaces to describe the grains, thereby enabling solutions with explicit consideration of their complex geometries. The intrinsic error arising from the diffuse interface approach employed in our proposed model is explored by comparing the results against a sharp interface model for a variety of parameter sets. Finally, two case studies are considered to demonstrate potential applications of the model. First, a nanocrystalline yttria-stabilized zirconia solid oxide fuel cell system is investigated, and the effective diffusivities are extracted from the simulation results and are compared to the values obtained through mean-field approximations. Second, the concentration evolution during lithiation of a polycrystalline battery cathode particle is simulated to demonstrate the method’s capability.

Materials Science↗
DOE OSTI2025

SOC Microstructural Analyzer

This program was designed to analyze the 3-phase microstructure of the electrodes of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) or electrolysis cell (SOEC), both referred to in combination as a solid oxide cell (SOC). It is agnostic to the exact system, so it could be repurposed to analyze any 3-phase microstructure. This tool directly analyzes segmented voxel-based data that has been segmented into phase IDs (1,2,3). The voxels will be analyzed directly for: - tortuosity factors - triple phase boundaries - 2-phase interfacial areas, using a meshed isosurface - mean diameters of each phase, using an inscribed sphere method - standard deviation of the diameters of each phase, from the same inscribed sphere data - connectivity information Comprehensive information is available in the readme file (within the zipped repository in Markdown language, and also available here as a rendered PDF). Please cite this page / DOI, as well as https://doi.org/10.1111/jace.14775, for usage.

3D microstructure↗