ENHANCED CERIA - A LOW-TEMPERATURE SOFC ELECTROLYTE

A new fuel cell solid electrolvte offering the potential for high power density operation on hydrocarbon fuels has been identified A doubly doped ceria electrolyte offers the advantage of high oxide ion conductivity without the restrictive materials problems of a high operating temperature. The operating temperature of a ceria cell is high enough to provide for operation using non-noble metal electrodes and operation directly on hydrocarbon fuels. Initial characterization of the material shows that it meets the primary requirements for use as a high power density fuel cell electrolyte.