SBIR Phase I: Examination of Diamond Cathodes to Advance Thermionic Energy Conversion-Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Technology for Use in Onsite, DC, Power Generation Needs

SBIR 第一阶段：检查金刚石阴极以推进热离子能量转换 - 固体氧化物燃料电池技术，用于满足现场直流发电需求

• 批准号: 1415948
• 负责人: Nicholas Hooten
• 金额: $ 15万
• 依托单位: IOP Technologies LLC
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2014
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2014-07-01 至 2014-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1415948&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; Examination; Diamond; Cathodes

The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is far-reaching, as successful demonstration of a TEC-SOFC generator will significantly benefit numerous civilian and military sectors, and also encourage further scientific research into this innovative power generation method. The aging U.S. electrical grid, which lacks sufficient redundancy and can leave the country susceptible to cascading blackouts, provides clear motivation for pursuing efficient, safe, and reliable power generation schemes. A TEC-SOFC generator could serve as an onsite generator for residential or industrial applications, eliminating consumer dependency on the current U.S. electrical grid. When fueled by natural gas, preliminary estimates indicate power production at 1/20th the cost of purchasing from the grid, while producing significantly less greenhouse gas emission than current fossil-fuel based approaches. Additionally, this portable technology would immediately benefit the military as a tactical electric generator due to its greatly improved fuel efficiency over existing generator designs. Calculations suggest that widespread adoption of TEC-SOFC generators by the military could reduce fuel-associated costs by 60%. Beneficial scientific impacts from this research are expected to include a more detailed understanding of the thermionic emission performance from advanced cathode materials, so that a range of practical TEC devices can be scientifically realized and commercialized.This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project seeks to develop a novel, highly efficient power generation technology particularly suited for small-scale, mobile, and off-grid type applications. This proprietary technology involves the combination of thermionic energy conversion (TEC) and solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs)?two highly efficient technologies?to create a generator with prospects of: 1) Greatly improved fuel efficiency, 2) Reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and 3) Cheaper operating costs. Because the resulting TEC-SOFC generator is based on well-established physical and engineering principles, we anticipate rapid product development (five years). Research to be conducted during this Phase I SBIR project is meant to prove the feasibility of low temperature (1000oC) TEC devices that utilize advanced electrode materials while also advancing already promising preliminary results. Specific tasks will aim to characterize various electrode compositions and configurations, which will then be implemented into a ?pre-prototype.? Upon completion of Phase I, TEC power output levels in excess of 0.1mW/cm2 at temperatures below 1000oC are anticipated. Power output levels are expected to continually increase up to 5 W/cm2 by the end of Phase II, at which time the development, testing, and commercialization of the full TEC-SOFC generator will commence.

该项目的广泛影响/商业潜力是深远的，因为TEC-SOFC发电机的成功示范将使许多民用和军用部门受益，并鼓励对这种创新发电方法进行进一步的科学研究。老化的美国电网缺乏足够的冗余，可能使该国容易受到连锁停电的影响，这为追求高效，安全和可靠的发电计划提供了明确的动机。TEC-SOFC发电机可以作为住宅或工业应用的现场发电机，消除消费者对当前美国电网的依赖。当以天然气为燃料时，初步估计表明，发电成本仅为从电网购买成本的1/20，同时产生的温室气体排放量明显低于目前基于化石燃料的方法。此外，这种便携式技术将立即有利于军事作为一个战术发电机，由于其大大提高了燃料效率比现有的发电机设计。计算表明，军方广泛采用TEC-SOFC发电机可以将燃料相关成本降低60%。这项研究的有益科学影响预计包括更详细地了解先进阴极材料的电子发射性能，从而使一系列实用的TEC设备可以科学地实现和商业化。这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目旨在开发一种新颖的，高效的发电技术，特别适用于小规模，移动的，和离网型应用。这项专有技术涉及到电子能量转换（TEC）和固体氧化物燃料电池（SOFC）的结合？两项高效技术？创造一种发电机，具有以下前景：1）大大提高燃料效率，2）减少温室气体排放，以及3）更便宜的运营成本。由于TEC-SOFC发电机是基于成熟的物理和工程原理，我们预计产品开发速度很快（五年）。在第一阶段SBIR项目期间进行的研究旨在证明利用先进电极材料的低温（1000 oC）TEC设备的可行性，同时也推进了已经有希望的初步结果。具体的任务将旨在表征各种电极组成和配置，然后将实施到一个？预原型在第一阶段完成后，预计TEC功率输出水平在低于1000 oC的温度下超过0.1mW/cm 2。预计到第二阶段结束时，功率输出水平将持续增加到5 W/cm 2，届时将开始开发，测试和商业化全TEC-SOFC发电机。