Reversible Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Technology for Green Fuel and Power Production

A reversible solid oxide fuel cell (RSOFC) is a device that can operate efficiently in both fuel cell and electrolysis operating modes. SOFC cells can be configured to be self supporting or external supporting. A wide range of fabrication processes have been investigated for making SOFC cells. Fabrication processes developed for the SOFC include conventional ceramic processing methods. One of the key attributes of the SOFC is its multi-fuel capability. For fuels other than pure hydrogen, the SOFC can operate on reformates or on hydrocarbons and other fuels. The operating temperature of the SOFC can be varied by modifying electrolyte material and/or electrolyte thickness. The SOFC has been considered for a broad spectrum of power generation applications and markets. SOFC stacks have demonstrated electrochemical performance under operating conditions appropriate for practical uses. In addition to fabrication scale-up for large power systems, the SOFC has also been scaled down for certain applications such as consumer electronics devices and compact portable powers.