Researchers Print Tubular Fuel Cells

Researchers at Clemson University have harnessed the power of 3D printing to create protonic ceramic fuel cells (PCFCs), a promising technology in the realm of renewable energy. These fuel cells hold the potential to transform electricity generation, offering a more sustainable alternative to fossil fuels.

Protonic ceramic fuel cells differ from traditional energy sources by utilizing renewable fuels such as hydrogen, ammonia, alcohols and sustainable hydrocarbons, marking a significant stride towards greener energy production. The challenge has been scaling up their production, a hurdle that the team at Clemson’s Advanced Materials Research Laboratory has overcome with additive manufacturing.

By employing 3D printing, the researchers have successfully crafted tubular PCFCs, a design that exhibits superior durability and ease of sealing compared to conventional flat designs. This innovation is expected to pave the way for real-world applications of PCFCs, as the team revealed in their report published in ACS Energy Letters.

What sets this research apart is the team’s achievement in 3D printing all three essential layers of a fuel cell—the anode, cathode, and electrolyte—in a single process. This accomplishment, combined with its simplicity and cost-effectiveness, holds immense promise for future commercialization.

While the current 3D printing time for one fuel cell is approximately three hours, the researchers are already envisioning more advanced designs for the next phase of their work. If their projections hold true, the prospect of 3D printed protonic ceramic fuel cells becoming commercially available within five years is within sight.
You can read the full paper, titled, “3D Printing Enabled Highly Scalable Tubular Protonic Ceramic Fuel Cells” at this link.

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