Work

Pressurized electrolysis and co-electrolysis in solid oxide cells – preliminary experimental results

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Solid oxide electrolyzers (SOE) offer the possibility of simultaneous electrochemical reduction of steam and carbon dioxide in a single-step process, known as co-electrolysis (co-SOE). The composition of synthetic gas produced in co-SOE (including mostly H2 and CO) can be precisely adjusted to specific downstream processes. Thus, SOE operated in co-electrolysis mode can be coupled with reactors such as Fisher-Tropsch or Sabatier, to produce liquid or gaseous hydrocarbonaceous fuels, respectively, in a Power-to-X processes. This not only enables energy storage in a form easily handled by existing infrastructure but also efficiently utilizes carbon dioxide, closing the loop and making it possible to recycle and reuse the gas. Converting both H2O and CO2 in a single reactor can simplify and improve the efficiency of the syngas production process. Moreover, thermal integration of co-SOE with these reactors add to the efficiency of Power-to-X systems. The results of an experimental investigation are presented in this paper. The research assessed the possibility of utilizing SOE/co-SOE cells for the highly efficient production of substrate for the synthetic fuels. Electrochemical measurements were conducted for two types of cells in a temperature range between 660 °C and 700 °C under four alternative compositions of feeding mixture at ambient and elevated pressure. The impact of operating parameters on SOC performance, in the context of synthetic fuel production, is discussed.

Source: Fuel

DOI: 10.1016/j.fuel.2025.136534