New Energies, new possibilities

자료출처 아시아경제

일 자 2023.8.22

​

비에이치아이는 청정수소 사업과 관련해 차세대 연료전지로 주목받고 있는 ‘고체산화물연료전지(SOFC)’ 발전 시스템 실증 작업에 본격 착수했다고 22일 밝혔다.

​

국책 과제로 진행 중인 SOFC 발전 시스템 프로젝트는 일차적으로 ‘스마트팜’에 적용하는 것이 목표다. 비에이치아이는 ‘스마트팜 혁신밸리 실증단지’를 대상으로 농림축산식품부, 스마트팜연구개발사업단(KoSFarm)과 함께 ‘탄소연료전지 기반 초고효율 열병합발전 시스템’을 개발할 예정이다.

​

비에이치아이는 차세대 연료전지로 주목받고 있는 SOFC를 활용해 ‘초고효율 열병합 발전 시스템’ 개발에 성공한 바 있다. 지난해 과학기술정보통신부와 농림축산식품부, 농촌진흥청, KoSFarm과 함께 범부처 차원에서 406억원에 달하는 48개 과제가 진행된 ‘스마트팜 다부처 패키지 혁신 기술 개발’ 사업이 진행됐으며 비에이치아이도 해당 사업에 참여했다. 비에이치아이를 포함해 참여한 기업과 기관 수는 286개에 달한다.

​

비에이치아이는 프로토타입의 5kW급 SOFC 시스템을 개발해 자체 성능 테스트를 진행한 결과 발전효율 55%, 종합효율 92%를 기록했다. 발전효율 55%는 세계 최고 수준으로 평가받는 미국 기업들이 기록한 59%에 근접한 수치다. 비에이치아이는 올해 12월까지 이번 실증과제를 마무리할 예정이다. 이를 통해 청정수소 기반 연료전지를 활용한 스마트팜 발전 시스템 개발의 사업화 및 상용화 가능성을 확인할 계획이다.

​

초고효율 열병합 발전 시스템은 SOFC 기반의 폐배지 등 농업부산물을 활용한 청정 발전 기술이기 때문에 에너지 비용 절감뿐 아니라 탄소중립에도 크게 기여할 수 있다. ‘스마트팜’ 산업에 적용되는 이번 실증이 성공적으로 마무리될 경우 향후 국내뿐 아니라 해외 스마트팜 산업에 전방위적으로 확산·적용될 수 있다.

​

비에이치아이 관계자는 “SOFC는 원전분야에서 주목받고 있는 ‘고체산화물수전해(SOEC)’ 기술의 근간이 되는 기술"이라며 “SOEC는 소형모듈원자로(SMR) 등 원자력 발전과 시너지를 낼 수 있다”고 말했다. 이어 “스마트팜 실증적용이 성공적으로 완료될 경우 국가에서 핵심 산업으로 육성하고 있는 스마트팜 산업 성장이 한 층 탄력을 받을 수 있을 것”이라고 덧붙였다.

Researchers design efficient iridium catalyst for hydrogen generation.

The energy demands of the world are ever increasing. In our quest for clean and eco-friendly energy solutions, transportable hydrogen energy offers considerable promise. In this regard, proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers (PEMWEs) that convert excess electric energy into transportable hydrogen energy through water electrolysis have garnered remarkable interest.

However, their widescale deployment for hydrogen production remains limited due to slow rates of oxygen evolution reaction (OER)—an important component of electrolysis—and high loading levels of expensive metal oxide catalysts, such as iridium (Ir) and ruthenium oxides, in electrodes. Therefore, developing cost-effective and high-performance OER catalysts is necessary for the widespread application of PEMWEs.

Recently, a team of researchers from Korea and U.S., led by Professor Chanho Pak from Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology in Korea, has developed a novel mesoporous tantalum oxide (Ta2O5)-supported iridium nanostructure catalyst via a modified formic acid reduction method that achieves efficient PEM water electrolysis.

Their study was published in the Journal of Power Sources. The study was co-authored by Dr. Chaekyung Baik, a post-doctoral researcher at Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST).

Prof. Pak said:

The electron-rich Ir nanostructure was uniformly dispersed on the stable mesoporous Ta2O5 support prepared via a soft-template method combined with an ethylenediamine encircling process, which effectively decreased the amount of Ir in a single PEMWE cell to 0.3 mg cm–2.

Importantly, the innovative Ir/Ta2O5 catalyst design not only improved the utilization of Ir but also facilitated higher electrical conductivity and a large electrochemically active surface area.

Additionally, X-ray photoelectron and X-ray absorption spectroscopies revealed strong metal–support interaction between Ir and Ta, while density functional theory calculations indicated a charge transfer from Ta to Ir, which induced the strong binding of adsorbates, such as O and OH, and maintained Ir (III) ratio in the oxidative OER process.

This, in turn, led to the enhanced activity of Ir/Ta2O5, with a lower overpotential of 0.385 V compared to a 0.48 V for IrO2.

The team also demonstrated high OER activity of the catalyst experimentally, observing an overpotential of 288 ± 3.9 mV at 10 mA cm−2 and a mass activity of 876.1 ± 125.1 A g−1 of Ir at 1.55 V, significantly higher than the corresponding values for Ir Black. In effect, Ir/Ta2O5 exhibited excellent OER activity and stability, as further confirmed through membrane electrode assembly single cell operation of over 120 hours.

The proposed technology offers the dual benefit of reduced Ir loading levels and an enhanced OER efficiency.

“The improved OER efficiency complements the cost-effectiveness of the PEMWE process, enhancing its overall performance. This advancement has the potential to revolutionize the commercialization of PEMWEs, accelerating its adoption as a primary method for hydrogen production,” speculates an optimistic Prof. Pak.

Researchers Design Efficient Iridium Catalyst for Hydrogen Generation - Hydrogen Central (hydrogen-central.com)

Hyundai Tucson fuel cell EV owner shocked by $113K repair bill for hydrogen fuel cell.

Hybrids and EVs may be kinder to the environment, but they have a bad reputation for stinging owners with shocking repair costs when things go wrong. In much the same vein, the owner of a hydrogen-powered Hyundai was recently astounded with a six-figure bill when the fuel cell went kaput.

As reported by AutoBild, German IT consultant Till Westberg purchased a Hyundai ix35 seven years ago for the reasonable sum of €50,200—roughly $55,000 nowadays. Known as the Hyundai Tuscon in the U.S., the ix35 was offered with hydrogen power in limited numbers, with the gas used to generate electricity for the drivetrain via a fuel cell. Westberg drove the car for years without fault, racking up over 52,000 miles before disaster struck.

Sadly, Westberg’s ix35 simply stopped working one day. The SUV began throwing an error message on the screen when powered up, and would no longer drive. Unfortunately for the German resident, repair seems out of the question.

Upon approaching Hyundai for a fix, Westberg was presented with a monstrous €103,764.17 ($113,000) repair bill for the fuel cell system. Tragically, the vehicle, purchased on the cusp of 2016, is now well past its standard five-year warranty period.

Prior to the failure, Westberg had been enjoying the boons of his hydrogen-powered vehicle. He regularly achieved over 450 km (280 miles) to a tank and appreciated the quiet running and good acceleration of the electric powertrain. Regardless, switching to hydrogen took serious commitment. At times, Westberg reportedly found himself driving over 70 miles to reach a hydrogen filling station.

In a statement made to AutoBild, Hyundai admitted that repairing the vehicle no longer made economic sense. Only around 1,000 examples of the fuel-cell ix35 were built from 2013 to 2018. The small population makes supporting the vehicles prohibitively expensive, particularly when it comes to unique parts like the fuel cell system.

The pace of change also plays a role; fuel cell technology has moved on significantly since the hydrogen ix35 was released a decade ago. Hyundai likely isn’t building a whole lot of fuel cells for an obscure decade-old platform.

Westberg has hoped that Hyundai will take the car back. Meanwhile, according to the German outlet, Hyundai is pursuing whether it can accommodate him with an alternative solution.

Hyundai also notes that the successor, the Nexo fuel cell vehicle, is in mass production. Replacement fuel cells for that vehicle are available for a more reasonable price of 41,650 ($45,000). That’s still a ridiculously high figure, but Hyundai claims the fuel cells are designed for a ten-year life or 5,000 hours of operation. They also come with a ten-year, 100,000-mile warranty in some markets. Total sales exceeded 10,000 units by 2020.

Anxieties around powertrain failures remain a factor for new buyers of hybrids, EVs, and the like. Fuel cell vehicles also fit into this category, they’re just much rarer. After all, nobody wants to get a huge five- or six-figure bill less than a decade into owning a new car.

As the clean transport revolution rolls on, we should expect automakers to solve this problem. At the same time, expect to see a handful of horror stories like these for early adopters caught out by edge cases like these.

READ the latest news shaping the hydrogen market at Hydrogen Central

Hyundai Tucson FCEV Owner Shocked by $113K Repair Bill for Hydrogen Fuel Cell, August 14, 2023  

Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell EV Owner Shocked by $113K Repair Bill for Hydrogen Fuel Cell - Hydrogen Central (hydrogen-central.com)