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A critical measure of a fuel cell’s usefulness is its power output at various electrical loads when supplying fuel (anode gas) and oxidant (cathode gas) to the cell. Chemist Laura Miller prepares the TuffCell sample for testing. Chemist Cecile Rossignol works in the background. |
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Metallic bi-polar plates make TuffCell stronger and easier to fabricate. |
TuffCell is Argonne’s new solid-oxide fuel cell |
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A rugged, solid oxide fuel cell developed at Argonne may soon provide a clean, affordable alternative to noisy, emissions-producing overnight idling of tractor-trailer trucks. Fuel cells are like batteries. They cleanly convert chemical energy into electricity without combustion and emissions. Fuel cells are not new—they have been used for decades to power everything from hospitals to space shuttles. What is new is Argonne’s new fuel cell called TuffCell. Its design features metal supports for higher mechanical strength, easier fabrication and increased performance—at a lower cost than current solid-oxide fuel-cell designs. Developed by the Chemical Engineering Division’s Fuel Cells Materials Group, TuffCell could be ready for commercialization in the next five years. Materials scientist J. David Carter’s innovation replaces the traditional costly, fragile ceramic cell support with a less-expensive, stronger, metallic bi-polar plate. The new design also simplifies manufacturing. The traditional cells built with ceramic supports require up to four separate high-temperature processings, or sinterings. That is one for each layer. The Argonne method spreads four thin layers of the oxide and metal materials needed—one on top of the other—and sinters only once. “The combination of reduced materials cost and elimination of high-temperature processing steps should significantly reduce the cost of solid-oxide fuel cell production,” said Deborah J. Myers, Fuel Cells Materials Group leader. “Impact tests have shown that TuffCell is four times tougher than traditional solid-oxide fuel cells,” Myers said. TuffCells should overcome the cost and durability issues that have been barriers to introducing solid-oxide fuel cells as auxiliary power units for tractor-trailers and other portable power applications. Tractor-trailer engines often run overnight to keep refrigeration units cooled or to provide electricity for microwaves and cooling or heating in the cab. According to a study by Argonne mechanical engineer Frank Stodolsky, a single long-haul truck emits about 22 tons of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas; 390 pounds of carbon monoxide; and 1,024 pounds of nitrogen oxides, assuming 1,830 hours of idling a year. And there are nearly half a million such trucks on America’s roads. Auxiliary power units are beginning to replace idling for economic, efficiency and environmental reasons, as states are beginning to ban truck idling. TuffCell-powered units would offer higher power density and efficiency and would last longer than current units. Until hydrogen is readily available, fuel reformers could reform diesel fuel into hydrogen to run the fuel cell. TuffCell researchers are collaborating with other Chemical Engineering Division scientists who patented their R&D 100 award-winning fuel reforming technology to combine the fuel cell and fuel-reforming technologies for an auxiliary power unit. For more information on fuel cells: http://www.cmt.anl.gov/science-technology/fuelcells/default.shtml For more information, please contact Evelyn Brown. |