Researchers reach record performance for ethanol-based fuel cells

In California, researchers at the Center for Energy Research at UC San Diego recently demonstrated the best performance for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) operating directly on ethanol without external reformation.

A peak power density of + 400 mW/cm2 was achieved at 800°C with air and a fuel containing 7.3 volume percent ethanol, a power density about four times higher than any other SOFC reported in the literature operating directly on ethanol at 20 volume percent or lower at the same temperature. Research was conducted by Dr. Nguyen Minh of the Center for Energy Research, postdoctoral scholar Dr. Eric Armstrong (now with Intel) and UC San Diego undergraduate student intern Jae-Woo Park.