Carbon Energy (Apr 2023)

Pulsed electrolysis of carbon dioxide by large‐scale solid oxide electrolytic cells for intermittent renewable energy storage

  • Anqi Wu,
  • Chaolei Li,
  • Beibei Han,
  • Wu Liu,
  • Yang Zhang,
  • Svenja Hanson,
  • Wanbing Guan,
  • Subhash C. Singhal

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/cey2.262
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 5, no. 4
pp. n/a – n/a

Abstract

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Abstract CO2 electrolysis with solid oxide electrolytic cells (SOECs) using intermittently available renewable energy has potential applications for carbon neutrality and energy storage. In this study, a pulsed current strategy is used to replicate intermittent energy availability, and the stability and conversion rate of the cyclic operation by a large‐scale flat‐tube SOEC are studied. One hundred cycles under pulsed current ranging from −100 to −300 mA/cm2 with a total operating time of about 800 h were carried out. The results show that after 100 cycles, the cell voltage attenuates by 0.041%/cycle in the high current stage of −300 mA/cm2, indicating that the lifetime of the cell can reach up to about 500 cycles. The total CO2 conversion rate reached 52%, which is close to the theoretical value of 54.3% at −300 mA/cm2, and the calculated efficiency approached 98.2%, assuming heat recycling. This study illustrates the significant advantages of SOEC in efficient electrochemical energy conversion, carbon emission mitigation, and seasonal energy storage.

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