It’s not real now but something called a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) that hopefully one day will have the capability of doing all those things.
Sharon Thomas at the University of Calgary
They are still not cost effective.
The number of applications has still not been determined.
What are they?
Very basically, solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) are highly efficient in generating power by operating cleanly and still using the fuel sources we already have available. In other words, they were just another way of turning fuels into electricity. This means reduced greenhouse gas emissions even though fuel sources include natural gas, propane, and diesel. SOFCs are not emission free but do not produce the toxic oxide emissions formed by burning fossil fuels. By finding a way of implementing SOFC technology cost effectively Canada will be one step closer to a cleaner environment.
How close are we today?
The network manager at SOFCC, Sharon Thomas said, “there are few solid oxide fuel cells being tried out in Canada, but is there anything that is really working? No.“ Are there other places in the world (where it is working)? Yes.” Several hundred units for residential applications have been tested worldwide, Thomas said, but resulting costs still remain too high. Although with improved materials SOFC prototype systems, varying in size, have recently been developed.
In Japan, over 50 such prototype systems have been installed in homes to provide electricity and hot water, and are collecting performance data for commercialization within a year. These systems operate off natural gas, and are being built by Tokyo Gas, Osaka Gas, and Eneos in Japan using SOFCs produced by Kyocera Inc. Similar systems are being produced in Europe, New Zealand and Australia.
Canada isn’t so far off from the rest of the world though. Versa Power Systems, has a headquarters in Calgary, is a leading developer of SOFC technology. Versa is currently in the pre-commercial development stage of its SOFC technology. They are working on developing advanced SOFC cells, stacks and power plants for various applications. Versa has been very successful in creating systems that have accumulated over 30,000 successful operating hours. Although these systems are still not being brought to commercialization yet Versa states on their website that their mission is to develop and commercialize cost-effective, environmentally-friendly and energy-efficient solid oxide fuel cell power generation solutions.
What’s the problem?
To put the cost problem into some perspective it is important to note that fuel cells operate at very high heat and emit high quality waste heat. The Solar Energy Laboratory at the University of Wisconsin-Madison did an assessment of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells in Building Applications. The use of the residential SOFC resulted in electric utility savings of about $500, a 90% reduction. On the other hand, in the case where no waste heat was recuperated, the gas utility requirement increased 170% from $120 to over $300 due to SOFC fuel consumption. The systems that have the capability of utilizing the high-grade waste heat have a compelling advantage. The network manager at SOFCC, Sharon Thomas said, “One of the main goals of the network is to do the research to bring the cost of everything down.”
Where are we headed?
A Solid Oxide Fuel Cell laboratory at the University of Calgary
Now we have a new information hub, one of many across Canada. The network is a component of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) SOFC Canada organization, formed in 2006. The membership of SOFC Canada includes universities, industries and government. In March of this year the government announced a $35 million funding project. Each network will receive approximately $ 5 million each year for the next five years.
So it comes down to this: It’s in the works that the promise of high reliability, low operating cost and low maintenance with SOFC technology will eventually one day be a reality. Further development is also underway to realize SOFC's potential for mobile, automotive, marine, and aerospace applications. How soon until all this is a reality? It is really hard to say. The reality that a universal power source that operates cleanly is a bit hard to comprehend, but this Solid Oxide Fuel Cell technology does seem to be better idea than the methods we are using now.
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Can you imagine a world where everything runs off of one kind of energy? Imagine your house, car, television, cell phone, even airplanes, and spaceships – all run without greenhouse gas emissions but still using the same fuel sources we use today.