Intermediate temperature reversible fuel cells

Electrolysis of water produces high-purity hydrogen directly, with no need for additional clean-up process. Efficiency and cost of electrolysis are favorable with high-temperature steam electrolyzers where a portion of the required energy can be supplied as thermal energy. With the similarity in requirements, much of the materials and designs aspects for the high-temperature electrolyzers have been derived from solid oxide fuel cell development. Lanthanum gallate electrolyte-based cells were evaluated in fuel cell and electrolysis modes of operation. A modified nickel anode is shown to lower the reactivity with the gallate.