ULTRA-SOFC SIGNED

Project "ULTRA-SOFC" data sheet

The following table provides information about the project.

 Partnership

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Map

 Project objective

Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) are one of the most efficient and fuel flexible power generators. However, a great limitation on their applicability arises from temperature restrictions. Operation approaching room temperature (RT) is forbidden by the limited performance of known electrolytes and cathodes while typical high temperatures (HT) avoid their implementation in portable applications where quick start ups with low energy consumption are required.

The ULTRASOFC project aims breaking these historical limits by taking advantage of the tremendous opportunities arising from novel fields in the domain of the nanoscale (nanoionics or nano photochemistry) and recent advances in the marriage between micro and nanotechnologies. From the required interdisciplinary approach, the ULTRASOFC project addresses materials challenges to (i) reduce the operation to RT and (ii) technological gaps to develop ultra-low-thermal mass structures able to reach high T with extremely low consumption and immediate start up. A unique μSOFC technology fully integrated in ultrathin silicon will be developed to allow operation with hydrogen at room temperature and based on hydrocarbons at high temperature. Stacking these μSOFCs will bring a new family of ultrathin power sources able to provide 100 mW at RT and 5W at high T in a size of a one-cent coin. A stand-alone device fuelled with methane at HT will be fabricated in the size of a dice.

Apart from breaking the state-of-the-art of power portable generation, the ULTRASOFC project will cover the gap of knowledge existing for the migration of high T electrochemical devices to room temperature and MEMS to high T. Therefore, one should expect that ULTRASOFC will open up new horizons and opportunities for research in adjacent fields like electrochemical transducers or chemical sensors. Furthermore, new technological perspectives of integration of unconventional materials will allow exploring unknown devices and practical applications.

 Publications