Project title: In Situ Electrochemical TEM Experiments on Solid Oxide Electrolysis Materials
Project description:
As fossil fuels contribute to 65% of greenhouse gas emissions in the world, there is a need and a challenge to replace them with renewable alternatives. Substituting fossil fuels in the energy sector further requires that the electricity can be stored when there is a surplus in supply and that the stored energy can be converted back to electricity when the supply lacks. Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cell (SOEC) is not only capable of converting electrical energy to chemical energy in the form of compounds that are suitable for storage, but is also flexible such that it can be operated in reverse, i.e. as Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC), to convert the stored compounds back to electrical energy.
SOECs are often operated at high temperatures (700-1000°C) as reduced electrical energy demand and improved process efficiency are achieved at this temperature range. Operating at high temperature, however, leads to material degradation and structural defects.
To drive SOEC to a breakthrough, it is necessary to fully understand the behavior of materials while in operation. The project will develop a method that will allow the collection of live images of SOEC materials while measuring its electrochemical response in an actual operating environment therefore establishing structure and electrochemical activity relations. The project will focus on characterizing nanofibers and in light with this, robust procedures for fiber preparation and mounting will be developed. The developed EIS-TEM method will be used to characterize different electrolyte and electrode materials and gather information to link the nanostructure and oxidation states of these materials with its conductivity in different reactive gases.
wayda@dtu.dk