Background For many years, the goal of efficient electricity generation at small scales with hydrocarbon fuels has been impractical due to heat loss and other challenges. Current approaches to electricity generation at small scales involve the combustion of hydrocarbon fuels to drive generators, which can be useful for remote or off-grid applications,...

Background The creation of effective energy conversion technologies has become essential in response to the challenges of integrating diurnally and seasonally intermittent and variable renewable energy resources. Specifically, one of the most important steps toward the economical production of sustainable fuels and organic chemicals is the conversion...

Background Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) have drawn attention in recent years as an alternative power generation technology, due to their high efficiency and low emissions. The lanthanum strontium manganite (LSM)-yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) cathode is widely utilized in SOFCs because of its high performance and stability. The microstructure of...

Energy usage in the industrial sector has been increasing since 2007 and has been the largest energy consuming sector in the US (e.g., at nearly 33 quadrillion Btus in 2018). Industrial facilities are not only the largest end-use consumer of energy, but account for one-third of the total peak power demand in the US. This creates several challenges...

As the world gears up for the ongoing renewable energy revolution, the temporal variability of the renewable sources remains a big headache for designing a reliable electricity grid. A multi-level energy storage infrastructure is thus necessary to maintain high, year-round dispatchability. No technology that currently exists is ideally suited to meet...

­Thermochemical reactors provide an effective means for water splitting and carbon dioxide splitting. These reactors are able to produce energized chemicals (e.g., hydrogen and carbon monoxide), which can subsequently be used in other chemical reactions (e.g., to reduce, add functionality, etc.) or from which other chemicals can be made (e.g.,...

Background High-temperature heaters have many applications, including the high-temperature processing of materials. As fossil fuel burners, such as natural gas burners, are replaced with renewable alternatives, the number of applications will increase. Conventional high temperature electrical heaters have been based on silicon carbide or molybdenum...

Background An aircraft’s auxiliary power unit (APU) provides electrical and pneumatic power for such functions as lighting, ice clearing, engine starting, and cabin air conditioning. The use of dual chamber solid oxide fuel cells (DC-SOFCs) increases efficiency and reduces NOx emissions, but results in lower power densities compared to conventional...