Profs. Robert J. Braun and Robert J. Kee of the CSM Department of Mechanical Engineering in collaboration with Prof. Scott Barnett at Northwestern University were awarded a three-year award from Stanford University's Global Climate and Energy Project (http://gcep.stanford.edu/) to develop technology suitable for large-scale energy storage applications.
The technology concept is unique in that it builds upon the idea of reversible solid-oxide fuel cells to make a high-efficiency battery. The project advances many aspects of fundamental and applied research in fuel cells, including ion-conducting materials, fuel reforming chemistry, and optimal cell architecture. A critically important aspect of the project is the system-level modeling effort that integrates the advanced cells into an optimal design that enables a high-performance energy storage system.