Project overview

SCOTAS-SOFC is a European project funded by the Fuel Cells & Hydrogen Joint Undertaking under the 7th Framework programme.
 
The aim of the project is to demonstrate a new more robust type of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC). SOFCs have a great advantage in their fuel flexibility compared to other fuel cells (such as PEMFC) and thus a partticularly suited for stationary cogeneration of heat and power based on natural gas or other hydrocarbon fuels.  
 
Today, Ni (in the form of Ni-cermets) is most often used as the material for the fuel electrode. Although it performs satisfactory and is stable at the reducing conditions and operating temperatures of SOFCs, the choice of Ni makes the fuel electrode very sensitive to carbon deposition at low steam / oxygen contents, deactivation by traces of sulphur (present, e.g. as odorants in pipeline natural gas), and mechanical failure of the electrode during re-oxidation caused by loss of fuel during operation.  
 
In order to overcome these drawbacks, the project will demonstrate a new full ceramic SOFC cell with superior robustness as regards to sulphur tolerance, carbon deposition (coking) and re-oxidation (redox resistance). Such a cell mitigates three major failure mechanisms which today have to be addressed at the system level. Having a more robust cell will thus enable the system to be simplified, something of particular importance for small systems, e.g. for combined heat and power (CHP).  


 






Peter Holtappels
Head of Programme
Fuel Cells and Solid State Chemistry (ABF)
Dir tel+45 46775620