Enhancement of Research Capabilities on Multi-functional Nanocomposites for Advanced Fuel Cell Technology through EU-Turkish-China Cooperation (NANOCOFC)

Program: NMP

Contract number: under negotiation

Instrument: SSA

List of participants:

l      Royal Institute of Technology (SE)

l      Nigde University (TR)

l      University of Ulster (UK)

l      Joint Research Centre,Institute of Energy (NL)

l      Casaccia Research Centre of ENEA (IT)

l      University of Aveiro (PT)

l      Helsinki University of Technology (FI)

l      GETT Fuel Cell international AB (SE)

l      International Center of Hydrogen Technologies (UN)

l      Dalian Maritime University (CN)

l      TsinghuaUniversity (CN)

l      University of Science & Technology of China (CN)

l      Shanghai Shenli High-Tech. Ltd (CN)

Projected total costs: (€)  500000

EC funding requested (€)  500000

Coordinator contact details:

Dr Bin Zhu

Royal Institute of Technology (KTH)

S-100 44 Stockholm, Sweden

Telephone: + 46 8 7908253

Telefax: + 46 8 108579

E-mail: binzhu@kth.se

Project website: is under construction.

EC Scientific Officer:

Dr Patrice MILLET

Project goal(s)

The project aims to enhance research capacities on nanotechnology, multi-functional materials and advanced applications. Innovations and advances are created on the multi-functional nanocomposites possessing superionic and dual (hybrid) H+/O2- conduction and next generation fuel cell (FC) technology. The project is based on existing Sino-Swedish IT/LTSOFC (intermediate and low temperature solid oxide fuel cell) network cooperation with prominent research institutions in EU and Turkey, and aims at networking research cooperation and joint activities; developing centers’ infrastructure and research or innovation strategies; exchanging and sharing personnel, information, resources and research methodologies; organizing the seminars and EC-China NANOCOFC (nanocomposite LTSOFCs) workshops; Raising public participation and awareness; promoting the trans-tech. and research achievements to industry and to establish new ways of production research in cooperation with China. The EU-level networking NANOCOFC will carry out the world leading R&D activities in the addressed areas.

Challenges/Problems addressed

1．    Creation of ultra low cost, superior performance FC systems to increase the marketability.

2．    The innovative approaches for material and advanced FC technology: LTSOFC.

3．    Networking efforts in EU level and cooperation with China by integrating critical mass to speed up the FC R&D and commercializing process.

Project structure/Technical approach

Project network consists of i) Seven Europe countries, one United Nations’ organisation and four Chinese participants selected from the Sino-Swedish IT/LTSOFC network; ii) to establish and develop network mechanisms and make joint efforts targeting the problems/challenges. In addition, joint network between EC and China cooperation may also create a super channel in success!

Project technical approaches are:

1.     Application of nanotechnology to FC creating ultra low cost, superior performance FCs to increase the marketability.

2.       Innovations in materials and technical approaches of nanocomposite LTSOFCs to explore new FC commercial routes/opportunities/potentials.

3.       Correspondingly new interesting research fields are growing: i) superionic conduction in interfaces between the constituent phases of the composite, see Figure on the previous page, thus tremendously reducing SOFC working temperature from 1000oC to 300-600oC. This interfacial superionic conduction mechanism in composites is advanced with much lower activation energy and continuous transport channels compared to the conventional single-phase materials; and ii) dual H+/O2- conduction, see also previous Fig., to enhance significantly the FC charge carrier concentrations, thus power outputs. Nanocomposite approach has created superionic conductivity, 10-1 Scm-1 at 500ºC (comparable to YSZ conductivity at 1000ºC), and dual phase O2-/H+ conduction, resulting in excellent LTSOFC technology, 800-1000 mWcm-2 at 500-580ºC, which guarantee successful applications. These are our unique advantages and advanced LTSOFCs not reported by others.

Expected achievements/impact

1.     To establish EC-China NANOCOFC network and a database for existing human and equipment potential in EU and organizing activities such as seminars, workshops, meetings, summer courses, mobilizing senior and young scientists in cooperation with the FC and nanotechnology areas, allowing researchers to reach these equipments will boost research capacity. An example is the Sino-Swedish IT/LTSOFC network involving 20 Swedish and Chinese academic and industrial partners, see a picture on right from the 3rd Sino-Swedish ILTSOFC workshop;

2.     Organize and motivate NANOCOFC studies: i) development of advanced nanocomposites and multi-functional materials; ii) fundamentals on interfacial phenomena and theories on nano- and nanocomposite ionics; iii) nanocomposite approach in developing 300-600°C LTSOFCs; iv) material and device processing, engineering and producing to provide the solution and feasibility to develop marketable FC technologies.

3.     Exchanging accumulated knowledge in the parties, the workshops, seminars and website development will provide better dissemination of knowledge and expertise available in the participating institutions, EU and China.

4.     To raise public participation and awareness and impacts on China, to setup future production base using plentiful resources to commercialize the EU technology/products as the world most competitive products.

Progress to date/Results

1.Invented materials play an important role in developing next generation FC technology: LTSOFCs.

2. It opens many new interesting research subjects, such as nanocomposite ionic conductors, interfacial superionic conduction, dual or hybrid H+/O2- conduction, nanocomposite ionics, new LTSOFC electrolytes and technologies based on innovative material advantages in addition to new and advanced technologies/applications.

3. The Sino-Swedish IT/LTSOFC network.

4. KTH-China Energy Centre: http://www.emt.kth.se/content/international_cooperation/international_cooperation.asp

5. Establishing EC-China NANOCOFC network.

6. In addition to an industrial IT/LTSOFC network involving Sweden (EU), China and USA.

项目简介

Enhancement of Research Capabilities on Multi-functional Nanocomposites 

for Advanced Fuel Cell Technology through EU-China Cooperation

欧盟（土耳其）-中国在纳米复合陶瓷材料的先进燃料电池(NANOCOFC)

朱斌博士作为该欧盟项目的提案人，组织和负责者,本项目的目的是基于瑞典89年以来发展建立的国际领先的下一代燃料电池的研究和中瑞燃料电池研究网络基础上，建立超级共赢的欧盟（土耳其）-中国在纳米复合陶瓷材料的下一代先进低温氧化物燃料电池(NANOCOFC)领域的研究网络，我们组建了非常强的网络和项目参加单位：其中作为新一代燃料电池LTSOFC的发源和领导，瑞典皇家工学院（朱斌博士的研究领域）为Coordinator单位；意大利国家能源环境技术局的直属研究中心；在荷兰的欧盟直属能源联合研究中心；英国Ulster大学国家级能源研究中心，葡萄牙的Aveiro大学设立有欧盟建立的SOFC研发和培训中心；土耳其的氢能和燃料电池-环境技术中心；联合国的氢能和燃料电池中心；以及瑞典全球燃料电池国际股份公司；而中方参加单位为清华大学(为我们已经建立的中瑞燃料电池研究网络的合作组织者)；中国科技大学；大连海事大学（与瑞典有多年的合作，在LTSOFC方面有很好的积累和基础）以及上海神力公司： 中国燃料电池电动车制造企业（国家科技部资助的重大项目）。

该项目的优势和基础

1. 强有力的中瑞中、低温氧化物燃料电池研究网络，有约20家中瑞名校和工业单位成功地举办了系列中瑞燃料电池研讨会和论坛，见报道：第4次http://heucec.hrbeu.edu.cn/conference/index.html a和第3次 http://www.ket.kth.se/avd/krt/sida-asia/3rd-sinoswe.pdf 受到瑞典国家研究理事会（VR）/瑞典国家国际合作发展局（SIDA）四个对中国合作的国家级项目资助。

2．瑞典皇家工学院对中国的合作是校长制定学校发展的重要战略。在已有的合作基础上，已经建立了皇家工学院中瑞能源联合研究中心，中瑞中、低温氧化物燃料电池研究网络是中心的一个支柱领域。

3．该项目是在中瑞网络成功的基础上自然的拓展，具有非常好的基础和中瑞网络成功的经验。从而保证建立超级共赢的研究网络和未来研发和产业化的联合平台。该项目的启动无疑提供了可行性。

4． 很好的欧盟合作网络，如上述。

5. 我们提出的研究领域为国际专家论证(2004年瑞典国家科学研究理事会（相当于中国国家自然科学基金委）组织的对朱斌博士承担的新型燃料电池项目的评审。由美国，加拿大，丹麦，芬兰, 奥地利6人组成的国际评审组 评定为:” 这是一个重要的研究领域。朱（朱斌）有潜力对该领域做出显著贡献。他在低温氧化物燃料电池领域很好地发展了国际领导/领先的角色／地位。“

6. 国际领先的中、低温氧化物燃料电池研究具有非常强的工业和商业化价值。

该研究已经对瑞典工业授权进行产业化开发，见:

> http://www.morphic.se/press/2005/09/23/08/00 

> http://ekonominyheterna.se/bors/showpress.asp?intpressid=61469

> http://www.morphic.se/docs/050923-SOFC.pdf

> http://www.morphic.se/press/2005/09/23/08/00

> http://www.morphic.se/press/2006/09/25/07/49