Exploitation of Waste Heat from a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell via an Alkali Metal Thermoelectric Converter and Electrochemical Cycles

In order to employ the waste heat effectively,a novel three-stage integrated system based upon a solid oxide fuel cell(SOFC),an alkali metal thermoelectric converter(AMTEC)and thermally regenerative electrochemical cycles(TRECs)is put forward.Considering the main electrochemically and thermodynamically irreversible losses,the power output and the efficiency of the subsystems and the integrated system are compared,and optimally operating regions for the current density,the power output,and the efficiency of the integrated system are explored.Calculations demonstrate that the maximum power density of the considered system is up to 7466 W/m2,which allows 18%and 74%higher than that of the conventional SOFC-AMTEC device and the stand-alone fuel cell model,respectively.It is proved that the considered system is an efficient approach to boost energy efficiency.Moreover,the influence of several significant parameters on the comprehensive performance of the integrated system is expounded in detail,including the electrolyte thickness of the SOFC,the leakage resistance of the SOFC,and the area ratio between the SOFC electrode and the AMTEC subsystem.

Performance Evaluation of a Molten Carbonate Fuel Cell-Graphene Thermionic Converter-Thermally Regenerative Electrochemical Cycles Hybrid System

A combined system model is proposed including a molten carbonate fuel cell(MCFC),a graphene thermionic converter(GTIC)and thermally regenerative electrochemical cycles(TRECs).The expressions for power output,energy efficiency of the subsystems and the couple system are formulated by considering several irreversible losses.Energy conservation equations between the subsystems are achieved leaned on the first law of thermodynamics.The optimum operating ranges for the combined system are determined compared with the MCFC system.Results reveal that the peak power output density(POD)and the corresponding energy efficiency are 28.22%and 10.76%higher than that of the single MCFC system,respectively.The effects of five designing parameters on the power density and energy efficiency of the MCFC/GTIC/TRECs model are also investigated and discussed.

Charging-free thermally regenerative electrochemical cycle for electricity generation from daytime solar heat and nighttime darkness

The extensive exploration of energy conversion harvested from the environment into electricity is recently driven by the significant demand to power off-grid electronics,particularly Internet-of-Things(IoT)sensors.This highlight previews the latest advance of a charging-free thermally regenerative electrochemical cycle(TREC)for continuous electricity generation from solar heat and darkness with the aid of dual-mode thermal regulations.Such a spontaneous all-day electricity generation with high power and efficiency shows great potential for powering a wide range of distributed electronics for IoT and other applications.

Structural evolution of plasma sprayed amorphous Li_(4)Ti_(5)O_(12) electrode and ceramic/polymer composite electrolyte during electrochemical cycle of quasi-solid-state lithium battery

A quasi-solid-state lithium battery is assembled by plasma sprayed amorphous Li_(4)Ti_(5)O_(12) to provide the outstanding electrochemical stability and better normal interface contact.Scanning Electron Microscope(SEM),Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy(STEM),Transmission Electron Microscopy(TEM),and Energy Dispersive Spectrometer(EDS)were used to analyze the structural evolution and performance of plasma sprayed amorphous LTO electrode and ceramic/polymer composite electrolyte before and after electrochemical experiments.By comparing the electrochemical performance of the amorphous LTO electrode and the traditional LTO electrode,the electrochemical behavior of different electrodes is studied.The results show that plasma spraying can prepare an amorphous LTO electrode coating of about 8μm.After 200 electrochemical cycles,the structure of the electrode evolved,and the inside of the electrode fractured and cracks expanded,because of recrystallization at the interface between the rich fluorine compounds and the amorphous LTO electrode.Similarly,the ceramic/polymer composite electrolyte has undergone structural evolution after 200 test cycles.The electrochemical cycle results show that the cycle stability,capacity retention rate,coulomb efficiency,and internal impedance of amorphous LTO electrode are better than traditional LTO electrode.This innovative and facile quasi-solid-state strategy is aimed to promote the intrinsic safety and stability of working lithium battery,shedding light on the development of next-generation high-performance solid-state lithium batteries.

Structural,electrochemical and cycling properties of Nb^(5+)doped LiNi_(0.8)Co_(0.1)Mn_(0.1)O_(2)cathode materials at different calcination temperatures for lithium-ion batteries

LiNi_(0.8)Co_(0.1)Mn_(0.1)O_(2)cathode material is prepared by sol-gel method and the effects of Nb^(5+)doping and different calcination temperatures on cathode materials were deeply investigated.Structural and morphological characterizations revealed that the optimal content of 1 mol%Nb^(5+)can stabilize layered structures,mitigate Ni^(2+)migration to Li layers,improve lithium diffusion capacity,and reduce lattice expansion/shrinkage while cycling.And calcination temperature at 800℃can not only ensure good morphology,but also suppress the mixed discharge of lithium and nickel in the internal structure.Electrochemical performance evaluation revealed that Nb^(5+)doping improves the discharge-specific capacity of the material,which is conducive to ameliorating its rate capability and cycle performance.And the material at 800℃exhibits the highest discharge specific capacity,the best magnification performance,low polarizability,and the best cycle reversibility.

Si nanoparticles seeded in carbon-coated Sn nanowires as an anode for high-energy and high-rate lithium-ion batteries

High-capacity and high-rate anode materials are desperately desired for applications in the next generation lithium-ion batteries.Here,we report preparation of an anode showing a structure of Si nanoparticles wrapped inside Sn nanowires.This anode inherits the advantages of both Si and Sn,endowing lithiation/delithiation of Si nanoparticles inside the conducting networks of Sn nanowires.It demonstrates a high and reversible capacity of∼1500 mAh g−1 over 300 cycles at 0.2℃ and a good rate capability(0.2℃–5℃)equivalent to Sn.The excellent cycling performance is attributed to the novel structure of the anode as well as the strong mechanical strength of the nanowires which is directly confirmed by in-situ lithiation and bending experiments.

Ethylene sulfite based electrolyte for non-aqueous lithium oxygen batteries

Non-aqueous lithium-oxygen （Li-O2） batteries have been considered as the superior energy storage system due to their high-energy density, however, some challenges limit the practical application of Li- O2 batteries. One of them is the lack of stable electrolyte. In this communication, a novel electrolyte with ethylene sulfite （ES） used as solvent for Li-O2 batteries was reported. ES solvent showed low volatility and high electrochemical stability. Without a catalyst in the air-electrode of Li-O2 batteries, the batteries showed high specific capacity, good round-trip efficiency and cycling stability.