Collaborative Research & GOALI: Direct-Fed Ethanol Metal-Supported Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

当与电池结合在一起时，燃料电池可以大大增加电动汽车的行驶里程，甚至有可能使长途电动飞机成为可能。然而，大多数燃料电池技术依赖氢作为燃料，因此压缩氢气的低能量密度和生产低温液氢所需的大能量输入限制了这种混合电能技术的日常运输应用。乙醇在环境条件下是一种液体，是一种可再生的高能量密度的氢替代品，尽管它有一个缺点，即乙醇必须在一个复杂的化学过程中转化为氢，然后才能进入燃料电池。在这项提议中，乙醇重整过程将通过开发一种催化剂与燃料电池相结合，该催化剂在燃料电池的一个电极上完成这种化学转化，从而消除了昂贵、繁重和能源密集型的重整过程。开发这种直接进料乙醇燃料电池的学术研究人员将与日产北美公司合作，推进他们的e-Bio燃料电池汽车技术。如果成功，该项目的成果包括重整器/燃料电池系统的总重量/成本降低，以及燃料电池内部设计的简化。拟议的研究建立在日产和学术研究团队之间现有的合作基础上。该GOALI提案将通过学生实习计划支持工业和学术研究团队之间的密切联系，将研究生引入日产，华盛顿州立大学（WSU）和石溪大学（SBU）的跨学科研究，涉及材料合成，催化剂工程和燃料电池技术。拟议的工作将对以下方面产生广泛影响：(1)通过WSU多元文化学生服务办公室和SBU全纳教育项目，为代表性不足的本科生提供研究经验；(2)通过与WSU的Palouse发现科学中心和SBU的STEM教育研究所合作，提高公众对科学和工程重要性的认识；(3)通过指导高中团队参加区域科学活动和参加ACS项目SEED计划，吸引高中生进入理工科领域。拟议的研究结果将通过出版物和在技术会议上介绍的正常渠道广泛传播。为了追求实用的直接进料乙醇燃料电池，实现远距离电力运输，本研究项目的主要目标是：(1)开发乙醇重整催化剂，其形式是mo掺杂的Ni （Ni- mo）纳米颗粒，高度分散在三维有序的介孔bao基载体中，可以强烈吸附和激活H2O作为传统Ni基燃料称为阳极的内部乙醇重整层；(2)研究直接进料乙醇金属负载固体氧化物燃料电池（MS-SOFCs）在运输应用条件下的催化剂性能。直接进料乙醇MS-SOFC的一个显著优点是无需从外部将乙醇燃料转化为氢，从而提供了简单性；然而，在常规MS-SOFC操作的恶劣操作条件下，由于严重的焦化，镍基阳极会迅速失活。为了解决这一问题，学术研究团队将通过电喷涂Ni-Mo纳米颗粒作为阳极表面的内部重整层来设计多功能双层阳极。为了成功制造这种双层阳极，pi将首先通过控制Mo掺杂水平来调整Ni-Mo纳米粒子的电子结构，然后将纳米粒子渗透到高表面积的三维有序介孔bazr0.4 ce0.4 y0.3 2o3 （BZCY）载体中。将使用Operando x射线吸收光谱（XAS）和环境透射电子显微镜（E-TEM）来确定Ni-Mo/BZCY催化剂在标称乙醇重整反应条件下的氧化态和结构，并将这些测量结果与观察到的催化性能联系起来。pi还将使用原位拉曼光谱和漂移光谱来研究催化剂分子结构与重整反应机制之间的关系。基于所确定的构效关系，pi将在MS-SOFC阳极上制备高性能Ni-Mo/BZCY内重整层，并将使用原位拉曼光谱电化学系统研究其在实际SOFC操作条件下的内重整和整体电化学活性。通过拟议的日产北美公司实习计划，研究生将与日产工程师一起，在与车辆运行相关的测试条件下，利用日产内部重整层评估和验证模型ms - sofc。通过这些道路轮廓测试，将评估直接进料乙醇ms - sofc在一系列驾驶条件下的电能质量能力和性能。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

When integrated with batteries, fuel cells can be used to significantly increase the range of electric vehicles, potentially even making long-haul electric aircraft possible. Most fuel cell technologies, however, rely on hydrogen as the fuel and so the low energy density of compressed hydrogen gas and the large energy input needed to produce cryogenic liquid hydrogen limit every-day transportation applications of this hybrid electrical energy technology. Ethanol, a liquid under ambient conditions, constitutes a renewable and high energy density alternative to hydrogen, albeit with the drawback that the ethanol must be reformed to hydrogen in a complex chemical process before it can be fed to the fuel cell. In this proposal, the ethanol reforming process will be integrated with the fuel cell by developing a catalyst that accomplishes this chemical transformation on one of the fuel cell electrodes, eliminating the costly, heavy, and energy intensive reforming process. The academic researchers developing this direct-feed ethanol fuel cell will partner with Nissan North America, Inc. to advance their e-Bio Fuel-Cell automotive technology. If successful, the outcomes of this project include a total weight/cost reduction of the reformer/fuel cell system and a simplified fuel cell internal design. The proposed research builds on an existing collaboration between Nissan and the academic research team. This GOALI proposal will support this close link between the industrial and academic research teams through a student internship program, introducing graduate students to interdisciplinary research involving material synthesis, catalyst engineering, and fuel cell technology at Nissan, Washington State University (WSU), and Stony Brook University (SBU). The proposed work will have broad impact on (1) research experiences for underrepresented undergraduate students through the Office of Multicultural Student Services at WSU and the Inclusive Education program at SBU; (2) promoting public awareness of the importance of science and engineering by collaborating with the Palouse Discovery Science Center at WSU and the Institute for STEM Education at SBU; and (3) attracting high school students to the fields of science and engineering by mentoring a high school team for regional science events and participating in the ACS Project SEED Program. The results of the proposed research will be disseminated widely through the normal channels of publication and presentation at technical meetings.In pursuit of practical direct-feed ethanol fuel cells that will enable long-distance electric transportation, the primary aims of this research program are to (1) develop ethanol reforming catalysts in the form of Mo-doped Ni (Ni-Mo) nanoparticles highly dispersed within a three-dimensionally ordered mesoporous BaO-based support that can strongly adsorb and activate H2O as the internal ethanol reforming layer over the conventional Ni-based fuel call anode, and (2) investigate the catalyst performance under conditions expected for transportation applications of direct-feed ethanol metal-supported solid oxide fuel cells (MS-SOFCs). A significant advantage of a direct-feed ethanol MS-SOFC is the simplicity afforded by not having to externally reform the ethanol fuel to hydrogen; however, under the harsh operating conditions of conventional MS-SOFC operation, the Ni-based anodes would quickly deactivate due to severe coking. To address this issue, the academic research team will design the multifunctional bilayer anode by electro-spraying Ni-Mo nanoparticles as the internal reforming layer over the anode surface. To successfully fabricate this bilayer anode, the PIs will first tune the electronic structure of Ni-Mo nanoparticle by controlling the Mo doping level and then infiltrate the nanoparticles into the high surface area, three-dimensionally ordered mesoporous BaZr0.4Ce0.4Y0.2O3 (BZCY) support. Operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and environmental transmission electron microscopy (E-TEM) will be used to determine the oxidation state and structure of the Ni-Mo/BZCY catalysts under the nominal ethanol-reforming reaction conditions to relate those measurements to observed catalytic performance. The PIs will also use in-situ Raman and DRIFT spectroscopy to investigate the relationship between catalyst molecular structure and reforming reaction mechanisms. Based on the identified structure-activity relationships, the PIs will fabricate the high-performance Ni-Mo/BZCY internal reforming layer over the MS-SOFC anode and will use an in-situ Raman spectroelectrochemical system to investigate its internal reforming and overall electrochemical activity under actual SOFC operating conditions. Through the proposed Nissan North America, Inc. internship program, graduate students will work with Nissan engineers to evaluate and validate model MS-SOFCs with the internal reforming layer at Nissan under test conditions relevant to the vehicle operation. From these road profile tests, the power quality capability and performance of the direct-feed ethanol MS-SOFCs under a range of driving conditions will be assessed.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.