SOLID OXIDE FUEL CELLS AND ELECTROLYZERS ARE PROMISING ELECTROCHEMICAL DEVICES FOR SPACE AND TERRESTRIAL AP…

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SOLID OXIDE FUEL CELLS AND ELECTROLYZERS ARE PROMISING ELECTROCHEMICAL DEVICES FOR SPACE AND TERRESTRIAL APPLICATIONS DUE TO THEIR HIGH POWER DENSITIES AND CLEAN OPERATION. FURTHERMORE, PROTON-CONDUCTING OXIDES HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO ALLOW LOWER OPERATIONAL TEMPERATURES AND PROMOTE MORE RELIABLE AND LONGER-LIVED DEVICES BOTH VALUABLE ATTRIBUTES FOR SPACE APPLICATIONS HOWEVER, PRACTICAL DEVICES ARE NOT YET REALIZED BECAUSE OF INSUFFICIENT PROTON MOBILITY AT MODERATE TEMPERATURES. PHENOM TECHNOLOGIES, INC. HAS IDENTIFIED A NEW NON-THERMAL TECHNIQUE TO DRAMATICALLY ENHANCE THE MOBILITY OF PROTONS IN SOLID OXIDES USING RESONANT INFRARED IRRADIATION TO EXCITE MOLECULAR O-H VIBRATIONS IN THE MATERIAL. IN OUR EARLIER WORK, WE HAVE SHOWN THAT THIS PHOTO-ENHANCED HYDROGEN TRANSPORT EFFECT CAN INCREASE THE PROTON DIFFUSION RATE IN SOLID OXIDES BY NINE ORDERS OF MAGNITUDE. IN THIS PHASE I STTR PROPOSAL, WE WILL BUILD ON OUR ESTABLISHED RESEARCH TO COMPLETE A PROOF OF CONCEPT STUDY AND LAY THE FOUNDATION FOR PHASE II PROTOTYPE DEVELOPMENT OF A "PHOTO-ENHANCED" SOLID OXIDE ELECTROLYTE FOR FUEL CELLS AND ELECTROLYZERS. THIS STUDY WILL ADDRESS NASA'S NEED FOR MORE RELIABLE AND EFFICIENT SOLID OXIDE ELECTROCHEMICAL COMPONENTS FOR CLEAN RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEMS.