Lesson plan

Reversible solid oxide cell

A reversible solid oxide cell (rSOC) is a solid-state electrochemical device that is operated alternatively as a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) and a solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC). Similarly to SOFCs, rSOCs are made of a dense electrolyte sandwiched between two porous electrodes. Their operating temperature ranges from 600 °C to 900 °C, hence they benefit from enhanced kinetics of the reactions and increased efficiency with respect to low-temperature electrochemical technologies. When utilized as a fuel cell, the reversible solid oxide cell is capable of oxidizing one or more gaseous fuels to produce electricity and heat. When used as an electrolysis cell, the same device can consume electricity and heat to convert back the products of the oxidation reaction into valuable fuels. These gaseous fuels can be pressurized and stored for a later use. For this reason, rSOCs are recently receiving increased attention due to their potential as an energy storage solution on the seasonal scale.

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Article summary

A reversible solid oxide cell (rSOC) is a solid-state electrochemical device that is operated alternatively as a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) and a solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC). Similarly to SOFCs, rSOCs are made of a dense electrolyte sandwiched between two porous electrodes. Their operating temperature ranges from 600 °C to 900 °C, hence they benefit from enhanced kinetics of the reactions and increased efficiency with respect to low-temperature electrochemical technologies. When utilized as a fuel cell, the reversible solid oxide cell is capable of oxidizing one or more gaseous fuels to produce electricity and heat. When used as an electrolysis cell, the same device can consume electricity and heat to convert back the products of the oxidation reaction into valuable fuels. These gaseous fuels can be pressurized and stored for a later use. For this reason, rSOCs are recently receiving increased attention due to their potential as an energy storage solution on the seasonal scale.

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  1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
  2. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
  3. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

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