CHEMISTRY

ASSIGNMENT
2

NAME: TARUSH
ROLL NO: 22053210
SECTION: B22
BRANCH: CSE
A solid oxide fuel cell (or SOFC) is an electrochemical conversion
device that produces electricity directly from oxidizing a fuel. Fuel
cells are characterized by their electrolyte material; the SOFC has a
solid oxide or ceramic electrolyte.
Advantages of this class of fuel cells include high combined heat
and power efficiency, long-term stability, fuel flexibility, low
emissions, and relatively low cost. The largest disadvantage is the
high operating temperature which results in longer start-up times
and mechanical and chemical compatibility issues.

Unlike most other types of fuel cells, SOFCs can have multiple
geometries. The planar fuel cell design geometry is the typical
sandwich type geometry employed by most types of fuel cells,
where the electrolyte is sandwiched in between the electrodes.
SOFCs can also be made in tubular geometries where either air or
fuel is passed through the inside of the tube and the other gas is
passed along the outside of the tube. The tubular design is
advantageous because it is much easier to seal air from the fuel.
The performance of the planar design is currently better than the
performance of the tubular design, however, because the planar
design has a lower resistance comparatively. Other geometries of
SOFCs include modified planar fuel cell designs (MPC or MPSOFC),
where a wave-like structure replaces the traditional flat
configuration of the planar cell. Such designs are highly promising
because they share the advantages of both planar cells (low
resistance) and tubular cells.
A solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) is a type of fuel cell that uses a solid oxide
electrolyte to electrochemically convert the chemical energy of a fuel, such as
natural gas, into electrical energy. SOFCs are composed of several layers of
components which include an anode, cathode, and electrolyte.
1. Anode: The anode is a layer of porous,
electrically conductive material that is doped with
a catalyst such as platinum. The anode is
connected to the fuel source and acts as the
negative electrode of the cell.
2. Cathode: The cathode is a layer of porous,
electrically conductive material that is doped with
a catalyst such as platinum. The cathode is
connected to the electrical load and acts as the
positive electrode of the cell.

3. Electrolyte: The electrolyte is an ionically conductive material that

separates the anode from the cathode. Commonly used electrolytes in SOFCs
include yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ), gadolinia-doped ceria (GDC), and
lanthanum strontium manganite (LSM).

4. Interconnect: The interconnect is a layer of electrically conductive material

that serves as the electrical connection between the anode and the cathode.
Commonly used interconnect materials include nickel and stainless steel.

5. Gas Diffusion Layer: The gas diffusion layer is a layer of porous, electrically
conductive material that helps to evenly distribute the fuel across the anode.
Commonly used gas diffusion
layer materials include carbon
paper and carbon cloth.

6. Sealing Layer: The sealing

layer is a layer of non-conductive
material that seals the edges of
the cell to prevent any fuel or
gases from leaking out.
Commonly used sealing layer
materials include ceramic, glass,
and metal.
To understand how natural gas, bio-methane, and hydrogen are converted to electricity and heat, we need
to examine the core of the fuel cell where reaction processes between cathodes and anodes (electrodes)
convert chemical energy to electrical energy.

Inside the solid oxide fuel cell, the molecules of hydrogen and oxygen gas are split into their elements and
then react to one another. This produces direct current (DC) that is converted to alternating current (AC) in
an inverter. Heat and water are also generated. The heat can be transferred to a heating system as heat
energy via an optional heat exchanger and can be used, for example, to heat the service water.

The electrochemical reaction takes place at temperatures between 500 and 700 degrees Celsius. The
special thing about this method of power generation is that the production of nitrogen oxide and
particulate matter is practically zero. When pure hydrogen is used as a fuel, not even carbon is generated,
giving the fuel cell an edge over other power plants when it comes to sustainability.

A solid oxide fuel cell utilizes the movement of electrons and generates electricity in few basic steps:-
1. Natural gas goes through a steam-reforming process. This chemical reaction produces hydrogen (H2),
carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2) and steam (H2O). There will be some unreformed natural gas
left in the mix as well.
2. The mix of elements from the reformer enter the fuel cell at the anode side. Meanwhile, air (including
oxygen) enters the fuel cell at the cathode side.
3. Oxygen in the air combines with free electrons to form
oxide ions at the cathode. Oxide ions with free electrons
travel from the cathode to the anode through the
electrolyte.
4. At the anode, oxide ions react with hydrogen forming
water (steam) and with carbon monoxide (CO) forming
carbon dioxide (CO2).
5. Reactions covered on Step #4 release free electrons.
These free electrons travel to cathode through the external electrical circuit, producing electricity.
The overall reaction of a solid oxide fuel cell is:
Anode: Oxidizing agent (fuel) + O2 → 2O2−
Cathode: 2O2− + 2H2O → 4 OH− + O2
Overall: Oxidizing agent (fuel) + H2O → 4 OH−
Sodium ion batteries are a type of electrochemical energy storage
system that uses sodium ions to store and release energy. Unlike
traditional lead acid batteries, sodium ion batteries use a solid
electrolyte instead of an aqueous solution. This allows for
increased energy density and safety. The main components of a
sodium ion battery are the anode, cathode, and electrolyte. The
anode is usually made of a carbon material, and the cathode is
made of a metal oxide. The electrolyte is typically a molten salt
containing sodium, chloride, and/or potassium ions. Sodium ion
batteries are rechargeable and have the potential to be used in a
wide variety of applications, including electric vehicles, grid
storage, and consumer electronics. Its working principle and cell
construction are almost identical with those of lithium-ion battery
(LIB) types, but replace lithium with sodium. Sodium-ion batteries
are a potential alternative to lithium-based battery technologies,
largely due to sodium's lower cost and greater availability.
CONSTRUCTION OF SODIUM ION BATTERY

A sodium ion battery is a type of rechargeable battery that uses sodium

as its primary storage medium. The battery consists of a cathode and
an anode, which are separated by an electrolyte. The cathode contains
a material that can reversibly accept and store sodium ions, while the
anode contains a material that can reversibly donate and store sodium
ions. When the battery is charged, sodium ions flow from the anode to
the cathode, stored in the cathode material. During discharge, the ions
flow back to the anode, releasing energy. The electrolyte allows the
ions to move between the two electrodes. Generally, the electrolyte is
a liquid or solid material that contains a high concentration of sodium
ions. The battery is usually charged by applying an external voltage to
the electrodes, forcing the ions to move in the desired direction.
 WORKING PRINCIPLE OF SODIUM ION BATTERY

Sodium ion batteries are rechargeable batteries that use intercalated sodium
ions to store energy. They work similarly to lithium-ion batteries, but use
sodium atoms instead of lithium atoms to store energy. During charging, sodium
ions are inserted into the positive electrode, or anode, and electrons are stored
in the negative electrode, or cathode. During discharge, the ions move back to
the cathode and release the electrons, producing a flow of electricity.
Therefore, standard anode material and cathode material components are
recommended for achieving optimum results. The working principle is based on
the “rocking chair mechanism” involving the charging and discharging processes
with oxidation and reduction occurring at the electrodes. To sum it up:-
INITIAL STATE- A sodium-ion cell is typically assembled in the discharged state. The
positive electrode is the sodium-ion source of the cell and contains the transferable
sodium ions, whereas the negative electrode is sodium-free. Widely studied cathode
materials are sodium transition metal oxides or Prussian blue analogs, and anode
materials are typically disordered carbons (hard carbons).

STEP 2 (SEI AND CEI FORMATION) - During the initial charge, electrical energy is used to
induce the migration of electrons from the positive electrode to the negative electrode
via an external circuit. At the same time, the positive electrode releases sodium ions into
the electrolyte to maintain charge neutrality. The sodium ions are transferred to the
negative electrode through the electrolyte to be inserted there into the active material.
Accordingly, an oxidation (positive electrode) and reduction (negative electrode) reaction
take place at the respective electrode. The cell voltage increases as the cell is charged.
The most used electrolyte components have a limited thermodynamical stability window
and start to decompose at potentials above (positive electrode) or below (negative
electrode) their electrochemical stability limits. As a result of the electrolyte
decomposition, interphases are formed from decomposition products at the
electrode/electrolyte interfaces, the CEI at the cathode and the SEI at the anode. The
formation of these interphases is crucial for the functionality of the cell because they
prevent continuous electrolyte degradation. To be efficient the interphases must be
electronically insulating but highly sodium ion conducting.
STEP 3 (CHARGE) - With ongoing charging, more and more sodium ions are released from
the cathode and stored in the anode via adsorption and intercalation mechanisms,
thereby, the cell voltage gradually increases until a predetermined end of charge voltage
is reached.

STEP 4 (DISCHARGE) - During discharge, the movement of the electrons and sodium ions
is reversed and occurs from the negative to the positive electrode. In this case, the
oxidation reaction takes place at the negative electrode (anode), while the reduction
reaction takes place at the positive electrode (cathode). The cell voltage decreases until
the cell reaches a defined cut-off voltage.

STEP 5 (ROCKING CHAIR MECHANISM) - In each cycle, the sodium ions are shuttled from
the positive to the negative electrode (charge) and back (discharge). A high reversibility of
the ongoing storage processes and high electrolyte stability are of crucial importance for
long cycle life.

Each cycle includes the shuttling of sodium ions from the positive to
the negative electrode (charge) and in reverse (discharge).
Chemical Reaction Involved in Sodium Ion Battery

Na+ + O2 + e- ----> NaO2

2Na+ + O2 + 2e- ----> Na2O2
4Na+ + O2 + 4e- ----> Na2O