INSPIRE: Novel Ceramic Membrane Electrode Assemblies for High Efficiency Thermo-Electrochemical Converter

该INSPIRE奖部分由化学、生物工程、环境和运输系统部门的能源可持续发展计划以及电气、通信和网络系统部门的能源、电力和自适应系统计划资助，这两个部门都属于工程局。技术说明该项目在RPI的Chrisey集团，该公司先前开发了用于能量存储的新陶瓷膜和制造技术，亚特兰大的约翰逊研发&部开发了热电化学转换（JTEC）的新概念，以将热差转换为电。对于今天的主要能源应用，其中效率需要大于20%，今天的技术涉及使用机械发动机将热差或燃料转换为机械运动，然后通过机械发电机将其转换为电力。JTEC承诺我们一个完全不同的路径，使用更有效的埃里克森热力循环，而不是通常的奥托，朗肯或布雷顿循环，具有较低的理论效率，没有固体运动部件。为了将其从概念转化为新技术，该项目旨在在实验室规模上证明两个最关键的子系统-膜电极组件（MEA）-可以制造，并且可以满足电导率，压力，泵送和温度的要求。实验室数据将被纳入整个JTEC系统的初步系统级设计中，以满足可能的应用需求。更广泛的影响将温差转换为电能是一项普遍存在的技术。突破性的效率也会带来普遍的好处。例如，桑迪亚的分析师报告说，工业界今天有能力建造大规模的太阳能农场，使用碟式太阳能热系统，每千瓦时仅需13美分，这是当今美国最便宜的太阳能发电形式。然而，在这些系统的核心是一个31%的效率斯特林发动机。早期的模拟表明，JTEC可能能够在这种规模的系统中实现两倍的效率;如果一切顺利，有希望从同一个盘子中产生两倍的电力，将太阳能发电的成本降低一半。同样，在所有最省油的混合汽车中，从普锐斯到伏特，现在都有一个效率为30%的汽油发动机用于将液体燃料转化为电力;如果用JTEC取代或增强它，它可以使这种汽车每加仑的英里数增加一倍（当使用液体燃料时）。除了技术上的好处，约翰逊研发部长期以来一直与塔斯基吉大学和非洲裔美国人社区进行外联。

This INSPIRE award is partially funded by the Energy for Sustainability Program in the Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems, and by the Energy, Power, and Adaptive Systems Program in the Division of Electrical, Communications and Cyber Systems, both in the Directorate for Engineering.Technical DescriptionThis project creates a new partnership between the Chrisey group at RPI, which has previously developed new ceramic membranes and manufacturing technology for energy storage, with Johnson R&D of Atlanta, which has developed a new concept of Thermo-Electrochemical Conversion (JTEC) to convert heat differences to electricity. For major energy applications today, where efficiencies greater than 20% are required, today's technology involves the use of mechanical engines to convert heat differences or fuel to mechanical motion, which is then converted to electricity by a mechanical generator. JTEC promises us a totally different path, using the more efficient Ericcson thermodynamic cycle instead of the usual Otto, Rankine or Brayton cycles which have lower theoretical efficiencies, with no solid moving parts. In order to convert this from a concept to a new technology, this project aims to prove, on a laboratory scale, that the two most critical subsystems -- the Membrane Electrode Assemblies (MEA) -- can be fabricated, and can meet the required performance on conductivity, pressure, pumping and temperature. The laboratory data will then be incorporated into a preliminary systems-level design for an entire JTEC system(s), to address the needs for possible applications.Broader ImpactsThe conversion of heat differences to electricity is a ubiquitous technology. Breakthroughs in efficiency wouldalso have ubiquitous benefits. For example, analysts at Sandia have reported that industry has the ability today to build large-scale solar farms, using dish-style solar thermal systems, which only cost 13 cents per kwh, the least expensive form of solar generation in the US today. However, at the core of those systems is a 31% efficient Stirling engine. Early simulations suggest that JTEC may be able to achieve twice that efficiency, in systems of that size; if all goes well, there is hope that twice as much electricity could be produced from the same dish, cutting the cost of solar power in half. Likewise, in all the most fuel-efficient hybrid cars, from Prius to Volt, there is a 30-percent efficient gasoline engine now used in converting liquid fuel to electricity; if that is replaced or augmented by JTEC, it could double the miles per gallon of such cars (when fueled from liquid fuel).In addition to the technology benefits, Johnson R&D has a long track record of outreach to Tuskegee University and to the African American community.