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DWV innovation award for thesis on materials for fuel cells
More power with novel cathodes
The German Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association announces that Dr. Andreas Mai from Cologne is the winner of this year's Innovation Award Hydrogen and Fuel Cells. His thesis, which he made at the Research Center Juelich, deals with novel materials for the cathodes of solid oxide fuel cells.
Andreas Mai studied physics in Tuebingen and got last year his doctor degree from the Ruhr University at Bochum. His thesis with the title „Catalytical and electrochemical properties of perowskites containing Iron and Cobalt as cathodes for solid oxide fuel cells“ compares these materials with respect to their suitability to the commonly used perowskites based on Mangane. The focus is on the characterization of their catalytical activity for oxygen adsorption and the measurement of their electrochemical properties. The power densities which could be achieved are much higher than known before; the maximum was 1,0 W/cm² at 750 °C and 0,7 V cell voltage. This is twice as much as before and makes it possible to lower the operating temperature by 100 °C without loss of power.
High temperature fuel cells, of which the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) is one, are seen as particularly suitable for stationary applications. Due to their high operating temperature they do not need hydrogen as fuel but can be run on natural gas, methanol, reformated gasoline or even gas from sewage plants, mines, or landfill. The thesis is seen as considerable progress for the further development of the SOFC with planar architecture.
The presentation of the award will happen at this year's DWV annual meeting on 3. June in Hannover. The thesis has been published as book by the Research Center Juelich and is available under ISBN 3-89336-356-4 in bookstores.
Published by the German Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association (DWV), Berlin
Editor: Dr. Ulrich Schmidtchen, Berlin
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