Glass Ceramic Composite Electrolyte for Low Temperature SOFC
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Solution Overview
Problem
Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) face challenges with high operating temperatures, which restrict their application and lead to sealing issues, and existing electrolytes, especially those doped with carbonate salts, are chemically unstable and less durable, requiring a stable electrolyte with enhanced ionic conductivity at lower temperatures.
Innovation Solution
A glass ceramic composite electrolyte comprising gadolinium doped ceria and a glass composite with specific weight percentages of bismuth oxide, vanadium oxide, phosphorus pentoxide, and potassium oxide, which is prepared through a process involving mixing, milling, calcination, and sintering to achieve improved ionic conductivity and stability at temperatures between 400-600°C.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If carbonate doped electrolytes are used to reduce operating temperature, then ionic conductivity is improved at lower temperatures, but chemical stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a composite electrolyte consisting of gadolinium doped ceria (GDC) combined with a glass composite containing bismuth oxide, vanadium oxide, phosphorus pentoxide, and potassium oxide. This composite structure allows the GDC to provide stable ionic conductivity while the glass composite lowers the operating temperature to 400-600°C, resolving the contradiction between temperature reduction and chemical stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the electrolyte composition by incorporating specific glass formers (bismuth oxide, vanadium oxide, phosphorus pentoxide) and modifiers (potassium oxide) in controlled proportions. These compositional parameter changes enable the electrolyte to achieve both low-temperature operation (400-600°C) and enhanced chemical stability, overcoming the limitations of carbonate doped electrolytes.
2Reliability
If high operating temperature is used to achieve sufficient ionic conductivity, then ionic conductivity is improved, but sealing difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the operating temperature parameter from conventional high temperatures (800-1000°C) to a lower range (400-600°C) by modifying the electrolyte composition with glass composites. This parameter change simultaneously improves sealability while maintaining adequate ionic conductivity through the optimized glass-ceramic formulation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The glass ceramic composite electrolyte exhibits ionic conductivity ranging from 2.25x10^-5 to 3.53x10^-2 S/cm at 400-600°C, reducing the sintering temperature and enhancing the durability and stability of SOFCs, allowing for potential integration into automobile and portable devices.
Implementation Method 1
The ionic conductivity of glass ceramic composite electrolyte in the temperature range of 400-600°C ranges between 2.25x10^-5 to 3.53x10^-2 S/cm
Implementation Method 2
bismuth oxide and potassium oxide; and optionally vanadium oxide and phosphorus pentoxide, are mixed to obtain a second mixture, acetone is added to the mixture, then the mixture is milled and dried to obtain a dried mass which is calcined to obtain a molten mass and further, the molten mass is quenched to obtain glass frit
Implementation Method 3
glycine is added to the first mixture, the solution obtained is stirred and heated to obtain a gel, which is further combusted to obtain a powdered mass and then sintered to obtain gadolinium doped ceria
Implementation Method 4
The pellets obtained are sintered to obtain the glass ceramic composite electrolyte of the present disclosure
Data Source
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AI summary
The present disclosure provides a glass ceramic composite electrolyte comprising gadolinium doped ceria and glass composite with desired ionic conductivity in the temperature range of 400 to 600°C, suitable for applications in solid oxide fuel cells. Also disclosed is a process for the preparation of the glass ceramic composite electrolyte.