U.S. Department of Energy's Solid Oxide Fuel Cells: Technical Advances

Abstract

The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy's (FE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), in partnership with private industries, is leading the development and demonstration of high‐efficiency solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) and fuel cell turbine hybrid power generation systems for distributed generation (DG) markets. The DOE FE DG program has three aspects: the Solid State Energy Conversion Alliance (SECA), Central Power Systems, and the High Temperature Electrochemistry Center (HiTEC). NETL is partnering with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in developing new directions in research under SECA for the development and commercialization of modular, low‐cost, and fuel‐flexible SOFC systems. The SECA initiative, through advanced materials, processing, and system integration research and development (R&D) will bring the fuel cell cost to $400 per kilowatt (kW) by 2010 for stationary and auxiliary power unit markets. The SECA program is currently structured to include six competing industry teams supported by a crosscutting core technology program. DOE is ultimately concerned with coal‐based central power plants. Advanced aspects of solid oxide technology are part of HiTEC R&D.