PhD Elaboration of a low temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (M/F)

20 Jan 2024
Job Information

Organisation/Company

CNRS

Department

Unité de Catalyse et de Chimie du Solide

Research Field

Physics

Researcher Profile

First Stage Researcher (R1)

Country

France

Application Deadline

9 Feb 2024 - 23:59 (UTC)

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Full-time

Hours Per Week

35

Offer Starting Date

1 Apr 2024

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by an EU programme

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Offer Description

This thesis is part of the PEPR-H2 Priority Research Programme and Equipment (https://www.pepr-hydrogene.fr ), funded by the France 2030 investment plan. The work will be carried out within the Unité de Catalyse et Chimie du Solide (UCCS - UMR 8181) located on the Cité Scientifique campus of the University of Lille and the FEMTO-ST laboratory (UMR 6174) located in Montbéliard. The UCCS brings together more than 300 people working on themes such as the catalytic valorisation of biomass, fine chemistry, plant chemistry, pollution treatment, new fuels, nuclear fuels and waste, fuel cells, eco-compatible materials and characterisation. The FEMTO-ST Institute employs around 750 people in the fields of energy, transport, health, watchmaking, instrumentation, space, metrology and the industry of the future, including luxury goods.
The successful candidate will work within the Solid State Chemistry department at UCSS, and within the Montbéliard site of the MINAMAS (Micro-Nano Materials and Surfaces) team of the MN2S (Micro Nano Sciences and Systems) department of the FEMTO-ST institute. He/she will have access to the equipment of the Institut Chevreul (https://chevreul.univ-lille.fr/ ) and the SURFACE platform (https://platforms.femto-st.fr/SURFACE/fr ).

Of the various types of fuel cell that exist, solid oxide fuel cells have the advantage of being able to operate with a variety of fuels. Their operating principle is based on a purely conductive ceramic using oxide ions, most often yttrium-stabilised zirconia, which separates two atmospheres: one containing air as the oxidant, the other a fuel, hydrogen or a hydrocarbon. To achieve sufficient levels of conductivity, these devices generally operate at temperatures higher than 700°C. The aim of the FLEXISOC project, of which this thesis is a part [1], is to develop a complete cell that is both robust and flexible with respect to the fuel, and that operates at a relatively low temperature (600°C). Previous work carried out at UCCS and FEMTO-ST suggests that operating temperatures can be lowered to around 600°C by using thin electrolytes of stabilised ceria, thanks to the addition of a barrier layer that blocks the electronic conduction of the ceria. They are inspired by the work of Wachsman [2], who describes the possibility of lowering these operating temperatures to 30°C by using bi-layer electrolytes consisting of an electrolyte based on bismuth and erbium oxides (ESB), combined with a protective layer of gadolinium-doped ceria (GDC). A power of 2 W.cm-2 is thus obtained at 650°C, power of 3.5 W.cm-2 at 700°C are expected by optimisation of the materials in terms of thickness and composition which is considerably higher than the current state of the art [3].
The aim of this thesis is to develop an innovative cell with a bi-layer ESB/GDC or ESB/YSZ electrolyte. The work will focus on the development of the electrolyte and the optimisation of air electrode materials. Two main deposition techniques will be used: spin coating at UCCS and magnetron sputtering at FEMTO-ST. The performance of the cells will be characterised by impedance spectroscopy, and full-cell performance tests will also be carried out. With a master's degree or an engineering diploma in chemistry, the candidate should have skills in solid state chemistry (synthesis, X-ray diffraction) and ceramic shaping (sintering, thin film, screen printing). Additional experience in electrochemistry would be particularly appreciated.
[1] https://www.pepr-hydrogene.fr/projets/flexisoc/
[2] Lowering the Temperature of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells, E.D. Wachsman, K.T. Lee, Science 334 (2011) 935
[3] Low-temperature solid-oxide fuel cells, E.D. Wachsman, T. Ishihara, J.A. Kilner, MRS Bulletin 39 (2014) 773

Requirements

Research Field

Physics

Education Level

Master Degree or equivalent

Languages

FRENCH

Level

Basic

Research Field

Physics

Years of Research Experience

None

Additional Information
Additional comments

Candidates should submit their application (CV and cover letter) via the CNRS job portal.

Website for additional job details

https://emploi.cnrs.fr/Offres/Doctorant/UMR8181-ROSVAN-003/Default.aspx

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

Unité de Catalyse et de Chimie du Solide

Country

France

City

VILLENEUVE D ASCQ

Geofield

Where to apply

Website

https://emploi.cnrs.fr/Candidat/Offre/UMR8181-ROSVAN-003/Candidater.aspx

Contact

City

VILLENEUVE D ASCQ

STATUS: EXPIRED