Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - OxiGEN (Next-generation Solid Oxide Fuel Cell stack and hot box solution for small stationary applications)

Teaser

OxiGEN aims at developing an innovative SOFC technical platform, including an all-ceramic stack design and a modular hotbox, for small stationary applications. Thanks to its higher durability and simpler design, this novel stack can fulfill the customers’ needs for long...

Summary

OxiGEN aims at developing an innovative SOFC technical platform, including an all-ceramic stack design and a modular hotbox, for small stationary applications. Thanks to its higher durability and simpler design, this novel stack can fulfill the customers’ needs for long lifetime, high efficiency and low cost, in micro-CHP and other segments.
The projects’ technical objectives address all the call challenges:
• Define, with input from the Advisory Panel, the most suitable hotbox functional specifications for residential and commercial segments: completed in WP1 and WP7
• Develop a higher power stack achieving the targets of a DC efficiency of at least 55%, a lifetime above 90000h of operation at a power output designed to address market needs: in progress in WP2, first Gen stack done
• Develop a modular hot box concept and build a 1kWe prototype (in practice, 500We to 1500We depending on preferred micro-CHP power specification): in progress in WP3, first design done
• Assess the performance of the prototype in system-like conditions: in progress in WP4
• Study the cost-of-ownership of the solution: started in WP7 and will be done in WP5 in the second period.
• Propose material-based solutions for future long-term improvements: in progress in WP6
• Ensure the manufacturability and compatibility of the new hotbox with the EU supply chain: in progress in WP7
• Disseminate results and build the exploitation plan: in progress in WP8

Work performed

Over the duration of the first period, four milestones should had been passed. 3 of them have been achieved:
- The market specifications and the test programs specifications were validated thanks to the work of Engie, Saint-Gobain and the CEA (M1)
- The first pre-tested G1 hot box was made by IKTS with Saint-Gobain stack and was ready to start test at ICI Caldaie (M2). The first test was done.
- The development of an electrolyte materials to improve the stack performance was done by SINTEF and the composition was validated with Saint-Gobain to be used in the next generation of stack (M6).

The milestone M3 on final decision on Gen 2 stack design must be done in June 2019. It is delayed since we are waiting for some results on the hot box testing to take a decision. This should be postponed by approximatively 6 months without impacting the full project.

In addition to the milestones, powders, short stacks and towers were made by Saint-Gobain (WP2).
The Gen 1 hot box design with CAD and the assembly with the Gen 1 tower was done by IKTS as well as the analysis of gasket materials to find a sufficiently tight material and to determine the required pressure (WP3).
The development of innovative anode functional layers to improved redox stability performed by Eifer is in progress (WP6).
A common cell testing protocol was established by Eifer, Sintef and Saint-Gobain (WP6) to set common cell testing conditions based on CEA’s testing protocol defined in WP1 based on SOCTESQA project and in WP4.
CEA also performed first tests on short stacks and ICI Caldaie tested the first hot box system (WP4).
The boundary limits of the hot box were defined by Saint-Gobain (WP7) thanks to meetings with an advisory board of integrators (WP8). The future scalability and manufacturability of the stack and the hot box was done by Saint-Gobain and IKTS respectively (WP7).
The communication of OxiGEN was done thanks to the implementation of a website, the creation of a logo and the presentation to several conferences (WP8). An intermediate exploitation plan and dissemination plan were submitted at the end of the first period by Saint-Gobain.
Finally, Saint-Gobain manage the coordination of the project with the FCH JU and the partners (WP9).

Thus, all the deliverables were submitted in the first period with 2 deliverables that will be updated also in the second period (D2.1 and D4.3) with the results obtained later. Indeed, the testing of the short stack at CEA (WP4) was postponed by 6 months since the lab moved during the starting period. Thus, it also leads to the postponement of the production of stacks in accordance with the needs for testing (WP2).

Final results

In line with the call expectations, the OxiGEN project will contribute to validate the targets contained in the MAWP 2014–2020, or even go beyond, in particular the specific KPIs related to small-power (<5 kWe) stationary applications, including but not limited to Residential micro-CHP, using SOFC / ceramic-based technologies.

Impacts are expected on stack performance, lifetime and stack cost.
At that stage, DC efficiency of at least 55% should be achieved while 50% was achieved as first results, but we should reach it for the next stack.
A target of 30% improvement of conductivity must be reach with the new electrolyte. The target was overpassed with an intrinsic conductivity 3.5 times higher than the reference.
The lifetime and cost will be addressed in the second period.

Moreover, OxiGEN project has socio-economic impact. The integration of the Saint-Gobain stack in the hot box, the testing of the system by ICI Caldaie integrator and the interaction with a European advisory board of integrators is allowing to accelerate the innovative system to be integrated in the European supply chain.

Website & more info

More info: http://oxigen-fch-project.eu/.