• Korean Journal of Materials Research
• /
• v.22 no.11
• /
• pp.626-630
• /
• 2012

The properties of SOFC unit cells manufactured using the decalcomania method were investigated. SOFC unit cell manufacturing using the decalcomania method is a very simple process. In order to minimize the ohmic loss of flattened tube type anode supports of solid oxide fuel cells(SOFC), the cells were fabricated by producing an anode function layer, YSZ electrolyte, LSM electrode, etc., on the supports and laminating them. The influence of these materials on the power output characteristics was studied when laminating the components and laminating the anode function layer between the anode and the electrolyte to improve the output characteristics. Regarding the performance of the SOFC unit cell, the output was 246 $mW/cm^2$ at a temperature of $800^{\circ}C$ in the case of not laminating the anode function layer; however, this value was improved by a factor of two to 574 $mW/cm^2$ due to the decrease of the ohmic resistance and polarization resistance of the cell in the case of laminating the anode function layer. The outputs appeared to be as high as 574 and 246 $mW/cm^2$ at a temperature of $800^{\circ}C$ in the case of using decalcomania paper when laminating the electrolyte layer using the in dip-coating method; however, the reason for this is that interfacial adhesion was improved due to the dense structure, which leads to a thin thickness of the electrolyte layer.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
• /
• v.8 no.2
• /
• pp.88-93
• /
• 2005

Anode-supported solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) was investigated to increase the cell power density at intermediate temperature through control of the cathode structure. The anode-supported SOFC cell were fabricated by wet process, in which the electrolyte of $8mol\%\;Y_2O_3-stabilized\;ZrO_2 (YSZ)$ was coated on the surface of anode support of Ni/YSA and then the cathode was coated. The cathode has two- or three- layered structure composed of $(La_{0.85}Sr_{0.15})_{0.9}MnO_{3-x}(LSM),\;LSM/YS$ composite (LY), and $La_{0.6}Sr_{0.4}Co_{0.2}Fe_{0.8}O_3{LSCF)$ with different thickness. Their single cells with different cathode structures were characterized by measuring the cell performance and ac impedance in the temperature range of 600 to $800^{\circ}C$ in humidified hydrogen with $3\%$ water and air. The cell with $LY\;9{\mu}m/LSM\;9{\mu}m/LSCF\;17{\mu}m$ showed best performance of $590mW/cm^2$, which was attributed to low polarization resistance due to LY and to low interfacial resistance due to LSCF.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.56 no.3
• /
• pp.933-940
• /
• 2024

A macroscopic cross section generation model was developed for the conceptual horizontal, compact high temperature gas reactor (HC-HTGR). Because there are many sources of spectral effects in the design and analysis of the core, conventional LWR methods have limitations for accurate simulation of the HC-HTGR using a neutron diffusion core neutronics simulator. Several super-cell model configurations were investigated to consider the spectral effect of neighboring cells. A new history variable was introduced for the existing library format to more accurately account for the history effect from neighboring nodes and reactivity control drums. The macroscopic cross section library was validated through comparison with cross sections generated using full core Monte Carlo models and single cell cross section for both 3D core steady-state problems and 2D and 3D depletion problems. Core calculations were then performed with the AGREE HTR neutronics and thermal-fluid core simulator using super-cell cross sections. With the new history variable, the super-cell cross sections were in good agreement with the full core cross sections even for problems with significant spectrum change during fuel shuffling and depletion.

• Progress in Superconductivity and Cryogenics
• /
• v.26 no.1
• /
• pp.25-30
• /
• 2024

High-temperature superconducting rotors offer advantages in terms of output-to-weight ratio and efficiency compared to conventional phase conduction motors or generators. The rotor can be cooled by conduction cooling, which attaches a cryocooler, and by refrigerant circulation, which uses circulating liquid or gas neon, helium and hydrogen. Recent work has focused on environmental issues and on high-temperature superconducting motors cooled with liquid hydrogen that can be combined with fuel cells. However, to ensure smooth supply and return of the cryogenic cooling fluid, a cryogenic rotational coupling between the rotating and stationary parts is necessary. Additionally, the development of a sealing structure to minimize fluid leakage applicable to the coupling is essential. This study describes the design and performance evaluation of a non-contact sealing method, specifically a labyrinth seal, which avoids power loss and heat load caused by friction in contact sealing structures. The seal design incorporates a spiral flow path to reduce leakage using centrifugal force, and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were conducted to analyze the flow path and rotational speed. A performance evaluation device was configured and employed to evaluate the designed seal. The results of this study will be used to develop a cryogenic rotational coupling with supply and return flow paths for cryogenic applications.

• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
• /
• 2012.05a
• /
• pp.70.1-70.1
• /
• 2012

In-situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and infrared (IR) spectroscopy studies of SOFC cathode materials will be discussed in this presentation. The mixed conducting perovskites (ABO3) containing rare and alkaline earth metals on the A-site and a transition metal on the B-site are commonly used as cathodes for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC). However, the details of the oxygen reduction reaction are still not clearly understood. The information about the type of adsorbed oxygen species and their concentration is important for a mechanistic understanding of the oxygen incorporation into these cathode materials. XPS has been widely used for the analysis of adsorbed species and surface structure. However, the conventional XPS experiments have the severe drawback to operate at room temperature and with the sample under ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) conditions, which is far from the relevant conditions of SOFC operation. The disadvantages of conventional XPS can be overcome to a large extent with a "high pressure" XPS setup installed at the BESSY II synchrotron. It allows sample depth profiling over 2 nm without sputtering by variation of the excitation energy, and most importantly measurements under a residual gas pressure in the mbar range. It is also well known that the catalytic activity for the oxygen reduction is very sensitive to their electrical conductivity and oxygen nonstoichiometry. Although the electrical conductivity of perovskite oxides has been intensively studied as a function of temperature or oxygen partial pressure (Po2), in-situ measurements of the conductivity of these materials in contact with the electrolyte as a SOFC configuration have little been reported. In order to measure the in-plane conductivity of an electrode film on the electrolyte, a substrate with high resistance is required for excluding the leakage current of the substrate. It is also hardly possible to measure the conductivity of cracked thin film by electrical methods. In this study, we report the electrical conductivity of perovskite $La_{0.6}Sr_{0.4}CoO_{3-{\delta}}$ (LSC) thin films on yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) electrolyte quantitatively obtained by in-situ IR spectroscopy. This method enables a reliable measurement of the electronic conductivity of the electrodes as part of the SOFC configuration regardless of leakage current to the substrate and cracks in the film.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
• /
• v.33 no.1
• /
• pp.38-46
• /
• 2022

Two different gas diffusion layers having noticeable differences in micro-porous layer's (MPL's) crack were studied as a substrate for the gas diffusion electrode (GDE) with different binder/carbon (B/C) ratios in high-temperature polymer electrolyte fuel cell (Ht-PEMFC). As a result, the performance defined as the voltage at 0.2 A/cm² and maximum power density from the single cells using GDEs from H23 C2 and SGL38 BC with different B/C ratios were compared. GDEs from H23 C2 showed a proportional increase of the voltage with the binder content on the other hand GDEs from SGL38 BC displayed a proportional decline of the voltage to the binder content. It was revealed that MPL crack influences the structure of catalyst layer in GDEs as well as affects the RC_athode which is in close connection with the Ht-PEMFC performance.

• Ceramist
• /
• v.21 no.4
• /
• pp.378-387
• /
• 2018

The optimal fabrication conditions for $Gd_{0.1}Ce_{0.9}O_{2-{\delta}}$(GDC) buffer layer and $La_{0.6}Sr_{0.4}Co_{0.2}Fe_{0.8}O_{3-{\delta}}$ (LSCF) cathode on 1mol% $CeO_2-10mol%\;Sc_2O_3$ stabilized $ZrO_2$ (CeScSZ) electrolyte were investigated for application of IT-SOFCs. GDC buffer layer was used in order to prevent undesired chemical reactions between LSCF and CeScSZ. These experiments were carried out with $5{\times}5cm^2$ anode supported unit cells to investigate the tendencies of electrochemical performance, Microstructure development and interface reaction between LSCF/GDC/CeScSZ along with the variations of GDC buffer layer thickness, sintering temperatures of GDC and LSCF were checked, respectively. Electrochemical performance was analyzed by DC current-voltage measurement and AC impedance spectroscopy. Microstructure and interface reaction were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Although the interfacial reaction between these materials could not be perfectly inhibited, We found that the cell, in which $6{\mu}m$ GDC interlayer sintered at $1200^{\circ}C$ and LSCF sintered at $1000^{\circ}C$ were applied, showed good interfacial adhesions and effective suppression of Sr, thereby resulting in fairly good performance with power density of $0.71W/cm^2$ at $800^{\circ}C$ and 0.7V.

• Resources Recycling
• /
• v.16 no.6
• /
• pp.28-33
• /
• 2007

Coal is the most abundant energy source and deposited in every area of world. Combustion process with lower efficiency has been mainly used. Therefore, implementation of more efficient technologies, involving gasification, combined cycles and fuel cells, would be a key issue in the plans for more efficient power generation. In these technologies, gasification has been studied for decades. However, coal gasification to high value combustible gas such as hydrogen and carbon monoxide is focused again due to high oil price. The gaseous product, called syngas, can be effectively utilized in a variety of ways ranging from electricity production to chemical industry (as feedstock). In this study, coal gasification with ultra high temperature steam has been performed. The effect of steam/carbon ratio on the produced gas concentrations, gasification rate and additional products like tar, ammonia and cyan compounds has been determined.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
• /
• v.22 no.1
• /
• pp.69-76
• /
• 2011

PEMFC (polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell) is device that generates electricity from hydrogen. It is one of the subjects related to renewable energy and various research has been conducted on the PEMFC. PEMFC has low operating temperature and high efficiency among fuel cells, and is given attention as means for automobile and domestic use. Analysis of flow field pattern in supplying hydrogen and oxygen is part of the research to increase PEMFC efficiency. In this study, separation plate currently used in PEMFC is transformed to wave shape and mass transfer characteristics in the channel is examined through numerical and experimental analysis. Wave shape separation plate yielded 18% increase of efficiency compared to separation plate used in normal channel. And improvements in mass transfer characteristics were verified.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.41 no.4
• /
• pp.413-426
• /
• 2009

Nuclear energy plays an important role in world energy production by supplying 6% of the world's current total electricity production. However, 86% of the energy consumed worldwide to produce industrial process heat, to generate electricity and to power the transportation sector still originates in fossil fuels. To cope with dwindling fossil fuels and climate change, it is clear that a clean alternative energy that can replace fossil fuels in these sectors is urgently required. Clean hydrogen energy is one such alternative. Clean hydrogen can play an important role not only in synthetic fuel production but also through powering fuel cells in the anticipated hydrogen economy. With the introduction of the high temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) that can produce nuclear heat up to $950^{\circ}C$ without greenhouse gas emissions, nuclear power is poised to broaden its mission beyond electricity generation to the provision of nuclear process heat and the massive production of hydrogen. In this paper, the features and potential of the HTGR as the energy source of the future are addressed. Perspectives on nuclear heat and hydrogen applications using the HTGR are discussed.