Development of titanium-doped SmBaMn2O5+δ layered perovskite as a robust electrode for symmetrical solid oxide fuel cells

It is a big challenge ahead of finding a symmetric electrode material that optimally works as both anode and cathode, with excellent structural and chemical stability and high catalytic activity. Herein, we propose a high-performance symmetric electrode material, SmBaMn_1.9Ti_0.1O_5+δ (SBMTi), with a single A-site layered perovskite phase in both reducing and oxidizing atmospheres. Owing to the high binding energy, titanium doping can enhance the structural stability and improve the catalytic activity to the hydrogen oxidation and oxygen reduction processes. The simple Ti-doping strategy enables a dramatic reduction in stoichiometric oxygen change upon oxidizing and reducing atmosphere alternation, and a considerable decrease in thermal expansion coefficient. The symmetrical cell with SBMTi electrode can provide a maximum power density of 603 mW cm⁻² at 900 °C, and shows a relatively stable thermal-cycle and atmosphere alternation performance. The developed SmBaMn_1.9Ti_0.1O_5+δ shows great potential as symmetric electrode in symmetrical solid oxide fuel cells.     

Controllable synthesis of Co/MnO heterointerfaces embedded in graphitic carbon for rechargeable Zn–air battery

Owing to the unique geometric and electronic structure, design and synthesis of electrocatalysts with well defined heterointerfaces are essential for clean energy technologies, for instance water-splitting and Zn-air batteries. Herein, a bifunctional electrocatalyst assembled by Co/MnO nanoparticles and nitrogen doping double-sphere carbon (denoted as Co/MnO@N-DSC), was fabricated via a solvothermal and pyrolysis strategy. The Co/MnO@N-DSC catalysts exhibit an enhanced bifunctional oxygen electrocatalytic performance for Oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) (E_1/2, 0.84 V vs. RHE) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) (E_onset, 1.54 V vs. RHE). As an air cathode catalyst, the Co/MnO@N-DSC-based Zn-air battery can afford prime performance, over the commercial noble-metal-based Zn-air battery. Theoretical calculation results indicate that the synergism of Co (111)/MnO (200) heterointerfaces can enhance charge transfer and provide extra electrons for the reaction processes. This work provides a promising manoeuvre to uplift bifunctional catalytic activity by increasing the synergy from heterointerfaces of transition-metal/metal oxide in oxygen electrocatalysis.     

Performance and durability of metal-supported solid oxide electrolysis cells at intermediate temperatures

Metal-supported solid oxide electrolysis cells (MS-SOECs) operating at 600–700 °C are attractive for storage of intermittent renewable electricity from solar and wind energy due to their advantages of easy sealing and fast startup. This paper reports on the fabrication of MS-SOECs consisting of dense scandium stabilized zirconia (SSZ) electrolytes, Ce_0.8Sm_0.2O_2−δ (SDC)/Ni impregnated 430L/SSZ cathodes and SmBa_0.5Sr_0.5Co₂O_5+δ (SBSCO) impregnated SSZ anodes supported on porous 430L alloys. Such cells demonstrated excellent electrolysis performance with current densities at 650 °C as high as 0.73 A⋅cm⁻² at 1.3 V in 50% H₂O-50% H₂ and 0.95 A⋅cm⁻² at 1.5 V in 90% CO₂-10% CO. Electrochemical impedance measurements indicated that the cell performance was largely limited by the ohmic losses for steam electrolysis and by the cathodic reduction reactions for CO₂ electrolysis, especially at reduced temperatures. Pronounced degradation was observed for both steam and CO₂ electrolysis over the preliminary 90-h stability measurements at 600 °C. SEM examination and EDS mapping of measured cells showed significant aggregation and coarsening of impregnated Ni particles, resulting in smaller activities for H₂O and CO₂ reduction reactions. As evidenced by the almost unaltered ohmic resistances over the measurement durations, the 430L stainless steel substrates demonstrate excellent resistances against corrosions from H₂O and CO₂ and thus show great promise for applications in reduced-temperature MS-SOECs.     

Optimal dispatch of hydrogen/electric vehicle charging station based on charging decision prediction

The hydrogen/electric vehicle charging station (HEVCS) is widely regarded as a highly attractive system for facilitating the popularity of hydrogen and electric vehicles in the future. However, conventional optimal dispatch of HEVCS could lead to poor performance due to the lack of adequate consideration of vehicle charging decision behaviours and neglection of the impacts of different information sources on it. This paper investigates a charging demand prediction method that considers multi-source information and proposes a multi-objective optimal dispatching strategy of HEVCS. First, an information interaction framework of integrated road network, vehicles and HEVCS is introduced. Road network model and HEVCS model are established based on the proposed framework. To improve the flexibility of dispatch, two charging modes are designed, which are intended to guide drivers to adjust their consumption behaviour by electricity price incentives. Furthermore, psychologically based hybrid utility-regret decision model and Weber-Fechner (W–F) stimulus model are developed to reasonably predict drivers' choice of charging stations and charging modes. The daily revenue of HEVCS and the total queuing time of drivers are the objective functions considered in this paper simultaneously. The above multi-objective optimization results that the proposed strategy can effectively improve the benefits of HEVCS and reduce energy waste. Additionally, this paper discusses the results of a sensitivity analysis conducted by varying incentive discount, which reveals the combined benefits of the HEVCS and the vehicles are effectively increased by setting reasonable incentive discounts.     

Research on atmospheric pollutant and greenhouse gas emission reductions of trucks by substituting fuel oil with green hydrogen: A case study

Trucks has caused serious atmospheric pollutant and greenhouse gas emissions in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), China, while substituting the truck fuel (gasoline/diesel) by green hydrogen is a critical way to solve the problems. Accordingly, we established a Hydrogen availability-Greenhouse gas and Atmospheric Pollutant emission reduction (HGAP) evaluation model. We revealed that the annual available green hydrogen energy in the GBA reached 1.36 × 10¹⁰ GJ, which could fuel all the trucks in the region. Via truck fuel substitution by hydrogen, a 45% reduction in regional greenhouse gas emissions in the GBA could achieve. The emission reductions of CO and HC by vehicles in the GBA achieved approximately 1/4, NOx was about 1/2 and PM was about 60%. We served a solution of developing without eco-sacrifice for developed, strategic yet high-emission coastal regions and countries.