Materials For High Temperature Fuel Cell Technology

该申请是一项更新平台赠款的请求，该赠款为圣安德鲁斯燃料电池计划的基础研究提供资金，以进一步开发所产生的技术。这项工作包括与一系列重要能源技术相关的新型材料的结构、化学、热和电化学特性。这些计划需要广泛的方法，从基本的原子尺度表征，通过微结构控制和制造设备的生产和测试。一个主要的重点是理解的微观结构和组成的作用，在开发有效的燃料电极与含烃燃料的利用。我们正在开发低温薄膜支撑电解质，并将其应用于蒸汽电解，以期利用可再生能源生产氢气。致力于碳燃料电池和蒸汽电解工艺等新概念的新举措已经取得成功，并将在更新的平台中进一步发展。其他新项目如氢化物离子导体、氨燃料电池、使用我们电极材料的电化学、燃料合成和新型阴极概念等已经启动，并将在更新的平台上进一步开发/验证。这项平台资助为建立一个非常活跃的燃料电池和相关清洁能源技术研究计划奠定了良好的基础。它与政府和工业界资助的一系列项目同时进行，并提供了一个关键工具，使这些项目能够得到有效管理。在许多情况下，由于平台项目提供的安全保障，开始日期避免了长达一年的延误。迄今为止，已有7名研究人员直接获得了该项目的资助，尽管该小组的大多数研究人员至少间接受益于平台项目。平台补助金使我们能够建立一个强大的集团结构，并大大加强了我们的能力。出版物以15年的速度运行，主要是在高影响力的期刊上，包括《自然》杂志。

This application is a request to renew a platform grant that has provided funding for basic research in the St Andrews' fuel cell programme to further development of the resulting technologies. The work comprises of structural, chemical, thermal and electrochemical characterisation of novel materials relating to a range of important energy technologies. These programmes entail a broad range of approaches from basic atomic scale characterisation through microstructural control and fabrication to device production and testing. A main focus is on understanding the role of microstructure and composition in developing efficient fuel electrodes for utilisation with hydrocarbon containing fuels. We are developing low temperature thin film supported electrolytes and application of such devices for steam electrolysis, with a view to utilising renewable energy to produce hydrogen. New initiatives working on new concepts such as carbon fuel cells and steam electrolysis processes have been successful and are will be further developed in the renewed platform. Other new initiatives such as hydride ion conductors, ammonia fuel cells, photocatalysis using our electrode materials, fuel synthesis and novel cathode concepts have been embarked upon and will be further developed/validated in the renewed platform.This Platform Grant has served as an excellent base on which to build a very active programme of research in fuel cell and related clean energy technologies. It is running in parallel with a series of projects funded by government and industry and has provided a key tool enabling efficient management of such projects. In many cases the start dates have avoided delays of up to one year due to security provided by the Platform Project. To-date 7 researchers have been funded directly by this project, although most of the researchers in the group have benefited at least indirectly from the Platform Project. The Platform Grant has enabled us to create a robust group structure and has greatly strengthened our capability. Publication is running at 15 pa largely in high impact journals including one in Nature.