Solid Oxide Fuel Cell

A solid oxide fuel cell, or SOFC, is an electrochemical device that produces electricity directly by oxidizing a fuel, using a solid ceramic electrolyte that conducts negative oxygen ions from the cathode to the anode rather than the liquid or polymer electrolytes other fuel cell types use. It operates at very high temperatures, typically between 600 and 1,000 degrees Celsius, which lets it use inexpensive nickel based catalysts instead of the platinum required by lower temperature fuel cells, though the heat also means longer startup times and tougher material demands. In 2009 the Australian company Ceramic Fuel Cells achieved an SOFC efficiency of 60 percent, a level previously considered only theoretical. Solid oxide fuel cells are now deployed from small auxiliary power units in vehicles up to stationary generators with outputs from 100 watts to 2 megawatts, valued for high combined heat and power efficiency and fuel flexibility.