Exploring the Future of SOEC Technology
Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells (SOECs) offer unmatched efficiency in hydrogen production, outperforming PEM and other electrolyzers. However, SOECs remain in the R&D and demonstration phases, with commercial-scale deployment still ahead. In a recent webinar, Dr. Rob Braun, Distinguished Professor at Colorado School of Mines, shared insights into the current state of SOEC technology, its efficiency advantages, challenges with high-temperature operation, and future applications like PtX and reversible fuel cell systems. SOECs hold great promise for advancing hydrogen technology ... read more
Solid Oxide Fuel Cells: Progress and Potential
Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) are a promising technology for decarbonizing power generation, offering high efficiency, fuel flexibility, and the ability to utilize diverse fuels like hydrogen, methane, biogas, and ammonia. They also produce high-grade waste heat, making them ideal for coupling with gas turbines or internal combustion engines to create low-cost, efficient power systems for stationary applications or even ships. Despite these advantages, SOFCs face several challenges, including high operating temperatures (500–900°C), thermal management, degradation, and low technology ... read more
Highlights from the European Electrolyzer & Fuel Cell Forum: Advancements in SOFC & SOEC Technologies
The European Electrolyzer & Fuel Cell Forum (www.efcf.com) in Lucerne, Switzerland was held last week and is one of the premier events for high temperature solid oxide electrochemical cell technology advancements and commercialization efforts. The conference had a record attendance and also included a marine technology status symposium on sustainable shipping for water born transport. It is a beautiful setting for a conference and it was great to see so many colleagues, former students, and industry professionals and old friends (from Shell, KIT, DLR, Noon Energy, Dynelectro, and ... read more
New Publication on High Power Density SOFCs for Heavy Duty Transportation
The recent publication in Applied Energy, titled High Power Density SOFCs for Decarbonizing Heavy Duty Transportation Applications, presents research from a collaboration between Mines and Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KiT). The study explores the use of ammonia as a carbon-free fuel for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) in heavy-duty transport. Using a multi-scale modeling approach, the work analyzes a hybrid SOFC-gas turbine system and finds that Ni-GDC-based (low temperature) SOFCs can achieve high power density without requiring an external ammonia cracker. The full paper is ... read more
Exciting New Projects at Mines in Electrolyzers and Fuel Cells
At Mines, we’re thrilled to announce three major new projects focused on the future of electrolyzers and fuel cells! These initiatives will pave the way for significant advancements in clean energy technologies: Advanced Hydrogen Electrolyzer Development: We're exploring proton conductor-based electrolyzers to improve the efficiency and scalability of hydrogen production. Electrochemical Test Facilities Initiative: A new effort aimed at building state-of-the-art testing infrastructure for evaluating electrolyzer and fuel cell technologies. SOFC-Based Combined Heat and Power ... read more
Advancing Hybrid Power Generation with Pressurized Fuel Cell Stacks
After reaching 95% of rated power conditions, we're one step closer to integrating pressurized fuel cell stack assemblies into our high-efficiency, hybrid power generation system. This progress brings us closer to developing a more reliable and scalable solution for clean energy production using hydrogen fuel cells. The integration of pressurized SOFC stacks is a key component in advancing distributed energy resources and renewable natural gas utilization. This work, conducted at the Colorado Fuel Cell Center on the Mines campus, is a significant step toward creating sustainable power ... read more
Robert Braun Receives the Distinguished Professor Award
Robert Braun, Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Head of the Advanced Energy Systems group at Colorado School of Mines, has been honored with the Distinguished Professor Award, the highest recognition at the institution. This prestigious award marks a significant milestone in his career. Congratulations to Robert Braun for this well-deserved distinction: https://mechanical.mines.edu/rob_braun_distinguished_professor/ read more
Tour of Danish Progress in PtX Development and Scale-Up
An impressive tour showcasing Denmark’s leadership in Power-to-X (PtX) development and scale-up. The visit highlighted cutting-edge technologies, ongoing experiments, and large-scale research stations in Denmark, positioning the country at the forefront of the green energy transition. The tour, which included presentations at the Aarhus Power-to-X Symposium and visits to PtX stakeholders such as Eurowind Energy, Green Hydrogen Hub Denmark, and Siemens Gamesa, emphasized the scale and maturity of Denmark’s PtX activities. The insight gained from these interactions underscores ... read more
Key Insights into Hydrogen Production Efficiency
A webinar on Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells (SOEC), presented by Dr. Robert Braun, brought together nearly 1,200 attendees, following another with 1,500 attendees on Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC). Organized by Mission Hydrogen, these sessions explored practical insights into hydrogen technologies without the hype. Main Takeaways: State of the Art and R&D Targets are not the same: Current efficiencies (~57 kWh/kg) are far from future targets (~42 kWh/kg) and will require significant R&D. Think in kWh/kg, not percentages: Focus on accurate benchmarks based on LHV rather ... read more
Akhil Ashar Presents at ARPA-E Summit 2023
Akhil attended the ARPA-E Summit in 2023, where he presented his progress on the Range Extenders for Electric Aviation with Low Carbon and High Efficiency (REEACH) program. read more
Akhil Ashar Presents High Power-Density Cell Modeling at EFCF 2024
AESG student Akhil Ashar recently presented his research on modeling of high power-density cells at the 2024 Electrolyser Fuel Cell Forum (EFCF) in Lucerne, Switzerland. read more
Noor joins Idaho National Laboratory for Fall 2024 Semester
Noor joins Idaho National Laboratory as an Electrolysis Testing Engineer intern for the Fall 2024 semester! He will work in their Hydrogen and Electrochemistry Department on phase-field modeling and accelerated stress testing of solid oxide electrolysis cells. read more
Exploring the Future of SOEC Technology
Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells (SOECs) offer unmatched efficiency in hydrogen production, outperforming PEM and other electrolyzers. However, SOECs remain in the R&D and demonstration phases, with commercial-scale deployment still ahead. In a recent webinar, Dr. Rob Braun, Distinguished Professor at Colorado School of Mines, shared insights into the current state of SOEC technology, its efficiency advantages, challenges with high-temperature operation, and future applications like PtX and reversible fuel cell systems. SOECs hold great promise for advancing hydrogen technology and supporting global decarbonization efforts. read more
Solid Oxide Fuel Cells: Progress and Potential
Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) are a promising technology for decarbonizing power generation, offering high efficiency, fuel flexibility, and the ability to utilize diverse fuels like hydrogen, methane, biogas, and ammonia. They also produce high-grade waste heat, making them ideal for coupling with gas turbines or internal combustion engines to create low-cost, efficient power systems for stationary applications or even ships. Despite these advantages, SOFCs face several challenges, including high operating temperatures (500–900°C), thermal management, degradation, and low technology readiness levels for certain applications. In a recent webinar, Dr. Rob Braun, Distinguished Professor at Colorado School of Mines, shared insights into the current state of SOFCs, focusing on materials, system integration, testing, and performance projections. He also explored the potential for combining SOFCs with SOECs to enhance efficiency and cost-effectiveness. SOFCs represent a significant step toward sustainable energy solutions, with continued research and development paving the way for wider adoption in the years ahead. read more
Highlights from the European Electrolyzer & Fuel Cell Forum: Advancements in SOFC & SOEC Technologies
The European Electrolyzer & Fuel Cell Forum (www.efcf.com) in Lucerne, Switzerland was held last week and is one of the premier events for high temperature solid oxide electrochemical cell technology advancements and commercialization efforts. The conference had a record attendance and also included a marine technology status symposium on sustainable shipping for water born transport. It is a beautiful setting for a conference and it was great to see so many colleagues, former students, and industry professionals and old friends (from Shell, KIT, DLR, Noon Energy, Dynelectro, and Ceres). We were pleased to present our work through five different presentations (main stages and posters) on the following topics: ◼ Prof. Rob Braun, “Pressurized testing of metal-supported solid oxide fuel cell & electrolyzer stacks,” which featured our work on kW-scale, 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱 test modules for both stationary power and hydrogen production using stacks from our close collaboration with Ceres. ◼ Dr. Omid Rizvandi, Mines research professor, “Numerical Analysis of Variations in SOC Characteristics under Fuel Cell and Electrolysis Operation Modes,” underscored the necessity of ... read more
New Publication on High Power Density SOFCs for Heavy Duty Transportation
The recent publication in Applied Energy, titled High Power Density SOFCs for Decarbonizing Heavy Duty Transportation Applications, presents research from a collaboration between Mines and Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KiT). The study explores the use of ammonia as a carbon-free fuel for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) in heavy-duty transport. Using a multi-scale modeling approach, the work analyzes a hybrid SOFC-gas turbine system and finds that Ni-GDC-based (low temperature) SOFCs can achieve high power density without requiring an external ammonia cracker. The full paper is available here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306261924010298 read more
Exciting New Projects at Mines in Electrolyzers and Fuel Cells
At Mines, we’re thrilled to announce three major new projects focused on the future of electrolyzers and fuel cells! These initiatives will pave the way for significant advancements in clean energy technologies: Advanced Hydrogen Electrolyzer Development: We're exploring proton conductor-based electrolyzers to improve the efficiency and scalability of hydrogen production. Electrochemical Test Facilities Initiative: A new effort aimed at building state-of-the-art testing infrastructure for evaluating electrolyzer and fuel cell technologies. SOFC-Based Combined Heat and Power Systems: We’re advancing the development of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) for flexible grid services, improving the integration of renewable energy into the grid. These efforts are part of our broader commitment to cutting-edge energy solutions and building sustainable technologies for the future. Read more about these projects: https://www.minesnewsroom.com/news/colorado-school-mines-awarded-105m-fuel-cell-funding read more
Advancing Hybrid Power Generation with Pressurized Fuel Cell Stacks
After reaching 95% of rated power conditions, we're one step closer to integrating pressurized fuel cell stack assemblies into our high-efficiency, hybrid power generation system. This progress brings us closer to developing a more reliable and scalable solution for clean energy production using hydrogen fuel cells. The integration of pressurized SOFC stacks is a key component in advancing distributed energy resources and renewable natural gas utilization. This work, conducted at the Colorado Fuel Cell Center on the Mines campus, is a significant step toward creating sustainable power solutions. Read more about this exciting development: https://www.minesnewsroom.com/news/solid-oxide-fuel-cell-colorado-fuel-cell-center-now-helping-power-mines-campus read more