DEVELOPMENT OF AN OPTIMAL NITRIC OXIDE REDUCTION SYSTEM VIA SOLID OXIDE FUEL CELLS

The need for sustainable energy systems is increasing, as non-renewable energy sources are depleting and poor air quality is a health risk to the population. The automotive industry is responsible for a significant amount of dangerous emissions due to the use of internal combustion engines. Although the use of electric and hybrid vehicles is on the rise, many manufacturers are continuing to make vehicles with internal combustion engines. Rather than try to replace all current internal combustion vehicles with electric vehicles, we can shift our focus to cleaning the exhaust from combustion engines. However, current methods of cleaning exhaust, such as precious group metal catalytic converters and lean nitrogen oxide traps, face operational constraints: catalytic converters require stoichiometric conditions for maximized performance, and lean nitrogen oxide traps have a limit on storage capacity. Therefore, there is a need for more efficient exhaust cleaning technologies that are operational across all operational conditions. This work continues the investigation of the use of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) as a membrane for breaking down nitric oxide (NO). NO is an especially dangerous combustion by-product, so constructing an exhaust cleaning system that is able to reduce the maximum amount of NO is imperative to the health of the population and the environment. To do so, we must closely study the operation of the SOFC, and how changes in test conditions affect the fuel cell’s performance.