West Virginia University engineers have unveiled a groundbreaking protonic ceramic electrochemical cell (PCEC) that promises to significantly enhance the flexibility and resilience of modern power grids. This innovative system not only generates electricity and stores energy but also efficiently produces green hydrogen from water, operating stably for over 5,000 hours under challenging high-temperature, high-humidity conditions. The development marks a critical step toward integrating variable renewable energy sources like solar and wind into the U.S. electrical grid, addressing long-standing challenges of intermittency and grid stability.
The core innovation lies in the PCEC’s novel "conformally coated scaffold" (CCS) structure, which enables it to withstand the extreme conditions that have plagued earlier designs. Unlike previous protonic ceramic electrochemical cells that suffered from material degradation and weak electrode-electrolyte bonding under high heat and steam, the WVU prototype maintained stable performance for more than 5,000 hours at 600°C and 40% humidity. This durability represents a substantial improvement over the prior benchmark of 1,833 hours, demonstrating a robust solution for industrial applications.
The PCEC’s ability to seamlessly switch between energy storage and power generation modes is crucial for a grid increasingly reliant on unpredictable renewable inputs. "Our group built a conformally coated scaffold (CCS) design by connecting electrolytes, and we coated and sealed it with an electrocatalyst layer that’s stable in steam, absorbs water, and stays intact as temperatures rise and fall. Protons, heat, and electricity can all move through the structure," stated Xingbo Liu, materials science professor and associate dean for research at the WVU College of Engineering and Mineral Resources. This dynamic capability allows the system to balance energy supply and demand, absorbing excess renewable generation through electrolysis to produce hydrogen and then converting hydrogen back to electricity during periods of high demand.
The research, detailed in Nature Energy, highlights the strategic incorporation of barium ions to enhance proton conduction and nickel ions to ensure structural stability during scale-up. A significant advantage of this system is its compatibility with water vapor, allowing it to utilize saltwater or low-quality water sources, thereby reducing the reliance on purified water and broadening its applicability across diverse environments. "All that shows promise for scaling up to industrial levels. We showed that it’s possible to make, on a large scale, CCS fuel cells that will stay strong and stable under intense conditions," added Hanchen Tian, a WVU doctoral student and postdoctoral researcher involved in the study. This breakthrough addresses critical material science challenges, paving the way for industrial deployment of highly efficient and durable electrochemical cells.