R & D for intermediate temperature solid state fuel cells

Although some solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are in the process of ommercialization, this technology still faces serious technical challenge due to the special high temperature (1000 °C) requirement resulting in high costs as well. It has thus been a strong tendency to develop intermediate temperature (400 to 800 °C solid state fuel cells (ITSSFCs). ITSSFCs use either oxide ionic conductors, e.g. fluorite or perovskite oxides or proton conducting oxyacid salts and salt-oxide composites as electrolytes that have a high protonic or oxide ionic conductivity of 10^-2 to 10^-1 S/cm in the IT region. The ITSSFCs may provide new opportunities for SSFC (including SOFC) commercialization. This paper gives a brief overview of the current ITSSFC status and activities of research and development mainly based on our work.