II.F.1 High-Temperature Solid-Oxide Electrolyzer System

Approach • Develop energy-efficient, high-temperature SOECs for hydrogen production from steam. – Reduce ohmic losses to improve energy efficiency. – Minimize electrolyte thickness. – Utilize high-performance electrolyte materials [e.g., scandia-stabilized zirconia (ScSZ), lanthanum strontium gallium magnesium oxide (LSGM)]. – Investigate alternate cell configurations (e.g., electrode-supported). – Conduct single-cell performance characterization testing. • Develop and test integrated SOEC stacks operating in the electrolysis mode with an aim toward scale-up to a 500-kW pilot plant and a 5-MW engineering demonstration facility. – Increase SOEC stack durability and sealing with regard to thermal cycles. – Improve material durability in a hydrogen/oxygen/steam environment. – Perform a progression of electrolysis stack testing activities at increasing scales and complexities. – Develop computational fluid dynamics (CFD) capability for SOEC. – Utilize advanced systems modeling codes.