High Temperature Electrolysis (HTE)

Project Summary

Full Title:	High Temperature Electrolysis (HTE)
Project ID:	159
Principal Investigator:	Steve Herring
Brief Description:	A three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model was created to model high-temperature steam electrolysis in a planar solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC). A solid-oxide fuel cell model adds the electrochemical reactions and loss mechanisms and computation of the electric field throughout the cell.
Keywords:	Solid oxide fuel cell; solid oxide elctrolysis cell; nuclear; model

Purpose

Assess the performance of solid-oxide cells operating in the steam electrolysis mode for hydrogen production over a temperature range of 800 to 900ºC.

Performer

Principal Investigator:	Steve Herring
Organization:	Idaho National Laboratory
Address:	Mailstop 3860, P.O. Box 1625 Idaho Falls, ID 83415-3860
Telephone:	208-526-9497
Email:	sth@inel.gov

Sponsor(s)

Name:	Carl Sink
Organization:	DOE/NE
Telephone:	301-903-5131
Email:	Carl.Sink@nuclear.energy.gov

Period of Performance

Start:	January 2003

Project Description

Type of Project:	Model
Category:	Hydrogen Fuel Pathways

Methodology/Approach:	Mass, momentum, energy, and species conservation and transport are provided via the core features of the commercial CFD code FLUENT. A solid-oxide fuel cell (SOFC) model adds the electrochemical reactions and loss mechanisms and computation of the electric field throughout the cell. The FLUENT SOFC user-defined subroutine was modified for this work to allow for operation in the SOEC mode.

Outputs:	Model results provide detailed profiles of temperature, Nernst potential, operating potential, anode-side gas composition, cathode-side gas composition, current density and hydrogen production over a range of stack operating conditions.

Products/Deliverables

	Description: FY 2009 Progress Report Publication Title: FY 2009 DOE Hydrogen Program Progress Report Article/Abstract Title: II.G.4 Laboratory-Scale High Temperature Electrolysis System Page number(s): 170 Publisher: U.S. Department of Energy Author Name(s): Herring, Stephen; O’Brien, James; Stoots, Carl; Condie, Keith; DeWall, Kevin; McKellar, Michael (PDF 273 KB) Download Adobe Reader. Publication Date: November 2009 Description: FY 2008 Progress Report Publication Title: FY 2008 DOE Hydrogen Program Progress Report Article/Abstract Title: II.H.3 Laboratory-Scale High Temperature Electrolysis System Page number(s): 234 Publisher: U.S. Department of Energy Author Name(s): Herring, Stephen; O’Brien, James; Stoots, Carl; DeWall, Kevin; McKellar, Michael; Harvego, Edwin (PDF 548 KB) Download Adobe Reader. Publication Date: November 2008 Description: FY 2007 Progress Report Publication Title: FY 2007 DOE Hydrogen Program Progress Report Article/Abstract Title: II.J.6 Laboratory-Scale High Temperature Electrolysis System Page number(s): 227 Publisher: U.S. Department of Energy Author Name(s): Herring, J.S.; O’Brien, J.E.; Stoots, C.M.; DeWall, K.; McKellar, M.G.; Harvego, E.; Sohal, M. (PDF 882 KB) Download Adobe Reader. Publication Date: November 2007 Description: FY 2006 Progress Report Publication Title: FY 2006 DOE Hydrogen Program Progress Report Article/Abstract Title: II.G.1 Laboratory-Scale High Temperature Electrolysis System Page number(s): 173 Publisher: U.S. Department of Energy Author Name(s): Herring, J.S.; O’Brien, J.E.; Stoots, C.M.; DeWall, K.; McKellar, M.G.; Harvego, E.; Sohal, M. (PDF 798 KB) Download Adobe Reader. Publication Date: November 2006 Description: FY 2005 Progress Report Publication Title: FY 2005 DOE Hydrogen Program Progress Report Article/Abstract Title: IV.G.1 High-Temperature Electrolysis Page number(s): 291 Publisher: U.S. Department of Energy Author Name(s): Herring, J.S.; O'Brien, J.E.; Stoots, C.M.; Lessing, P.; Windes, W.; Wendt, D.; McKellar, M.G. (PDF 256 KB) Download Adobe Reader. Publication Date: November 2005

Description: FY 2009 Progress Report
Publication Title: FY 2009 DOE Hydrogen Program Progress Report
Article/Abstract Title: II.G.4 Laboratory-Scale High Temperature Electrolysis System
Page number(s): 170
Publisher: U.S. Department of Energy
Author Name(s): Herring, Stephen; O’Brien, James; Stoots, Carl; Condie, Keith; DeWall, Kevin; McKellar, Michael
(PDF 273 KB) Download Adobe Reader.
Publication Date: November 2009
Description: FY 2008 Progress Report
Publication Title: FY 2008 DOE Hydrogen Program Progress Report
Article/Abstract Title: II.H.3 Laboratory-Scale High Temperature Electrolysis System
Page number(s): 234
Publisher: U.S. Department of Energy
Author Name(s): Herring, Stephen; O’Brien, James; Stoots, Carl; DeWall, Kevin; McKellar, Michael; Harvego, Edwin
(PDF 548 KB) Download Adobe Reader.
Publication Date: November 2008
Description: FY 2007 Progress Report
Publication Title: FY 2007 DOE Hydrogen Program Progress Report
Article/Abstract Title: II.J.6 Laboratory-Scale High Temperature Electrolysis System
Page number(s): 227
Publisher: U.S. Department of Energy
Author Name(s): Herring, J.S.; O’Brien, J.E.; Stoots, C.M.; DeWall, K.; McKellar, M.G.; Harvego, E.; Sohal, M.
(PDF 882 KB) Download Adobe Reader.
Publication Date: November 2007
Description: FY 2006 Progress Report
Publication Title: FY 2006 DOE Hydrogen Program Progress Report
Article/Abstract Title: II.G.1 Laboratory-Scale High Temperature Electrolysis System
Page number(s): 173
Publisher: U.S. Department of Energy
Author Name(s): Herring, J.S.; O’Brien, J.E.; Stoots, C.M.; DeWall, K.; McKellar, M.G.; Harvego, E.; Sohal, M.
(PDF 798 KB) Download Adobe Reader.
Publication Date: November 2006
Description: FY 2005 Progress Report
Publication Title: FY 2005 DOE Hydrogen Program Progress Report
Article/Abstract Title: IV.G.1 High-Temperature Electrolysis
Page number(s): 291
Publisher: U.S. Department of Energy
Author Name(s): Herring, J.S.; O'Brien, J.E.; Stoots, C.M.; Lessing, P.; Windes, W.; Wendt, D.; McKellar, M.G.
(PDF 256 KB) Download Adobe Reader.
Publication Date: November 2005

Date Last Updated: 01/17/2011