Study of cell component materials to produce H2 using high temperature solid oxide steam electrolyzer

Introduction
Hydrogen is an ideal energy carrier, which can be used efficiently to produce electric energy using fuel cell. The conventional water electrolysis gives unsatisfactory electric efficiency (about 27%). However, through high temperature steam electrolysis using solid oxide electrolytic cell (SOEC). The hydrogen production efficiency can be pushed to 45%--70 %. SOEC works on principle reverse of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC). SOEC operates between 700oC to 1000oC. Steam is fed into the porous cathode side. When required electrical potential for water splitting is applied between the two electrodes, water molecules dissociate to form hydrogen gas and oxygen ions at the cathode-electrolyte interface: Cathode reaction: H2O +2e- H2 + O-2 (i)

Now the hydrogen molecules produced diffuse out of the porous cathode and oxygen ion moves to the interface between anode and electrolyte. The oxygen ions are transported through the oxygen ion-conducting electrolyte to the anode and subsequently oxidized to form oxygen molecules: Anode reaction: Overall reaction: O-2 0.5O2+2eH2O+ 179.9 kJ/mole electricity + 69.3 kJ/mole heat H2+0.502 (ii) (iii)

Kinetics of high temperature electrolysis

The net equation for steam electrolysis using a SOEC is 2 H2O+heat +electricity energy2H2+02. This is reaction is endothermic, so if the temperature is increased, the reaction tends to go in the direction of the product. While H remains essentially unchanged (249 kJ/mol H2 at 900C) with increase in temperature, the molar Gibbs free energy drops from 237 kJ/mol H2 to 183 kJ/mol with increase in temperature.

Summer research fellowship objective Objective:

To prepare a single cell SOEC to produce H2 and carry out preliminary testing to observe the effect of suitable cell component materials on H2 production.

Materials to be used to prepare a single cell SOEC:Porous cathode will be used having nickel zirconia cermet layer immediately adjacent to the electrolyte and a pure nickel as outer layer. Porous anode is made of material which has high oxygen ion and electronic conductivity (MIEC); Materials such as La0.8Sr0.2FeO3 (LSF) will be used. Fully dense electrolyte is required with high ionic conductivity, so that oxygen ion can travel through the electrolyte; materials such as 8mol% Y2O3 stabilized ZrO2 (YSZ) will be used.

Testing:
Single cell SOEC will be tested using an electrochemical test set-up and to observe the H2 production. The effect of component materials (cathode, anode and electrolyte) role will also be observed . SACHIN SAHOO ENGS728