Advanced Ceramic Electrochemical Cell for Oxygen Production

The objective of the Phase II program is to perform tests and analysis on previously identified candidate electrolyte materials for advanced ceramic electrochemical cells.  These candidates will be evaluated for their ability to achieve increased flow rates of high purity oxygen (?99.9%) relative to state-of- the-art materials, while also maintaining structural integrity at pressures above 300 pounds per square inch gauge.  Then these electrolytes will be processed, along with anode and cathode materials, to produce tubular electrochemical cell coupons.  Multi-layer coating processes and material combinations will be refined with these tubes, and they will be subjected to performance testing.  Finally, several of these tubes will integrated into a multi-tube cell assembly to refine sealing and power connection techniques, and to assess performance of the integrated assembly. In addition, system integration and packaging issues will be addressed to assure that the selected materials can be successfully integrated into a robust oxygen generation system, with the lowest feasible electric power consumption.