Solid acid fuel cells (SAFCs) are characterized by the use of a solid acid material as the electrolyte. At low temperatures, solid acids have an ordered molecular structure like most salts. At warmer temperatures (between 140 and 150 °C for CsHSO4), some solid acids undergo a phase transition to become highly disordered “super protonic” structures, which increases conductivity by several orders of magnitude. The first proof-of-concept SAFCs were developed in 2000 using cesium hydrogen sulfate (CsHSO4). Current SAFC systems use cesium dihydrogen phosphate (CsH2PO4) and have demonstrated lifetimes in the thousands of hours.
Key Features
- Simple system – fewer components
- Low-cost components – avoiding expensive materials
- Fast & easy installation – rugged design reduces the need for specialized mounting and enclosures
- Fuel flexible – uses inexpensive and widely available industrial fuels
- Fuel efficient – uses less fuel
- Low-maintenance – extended operation with minimal servicing.