Development of an Advanced Diamond TEC Cathode

The advanced Diamond TEC cathodes being developed as part of the proposed program can support NASA's goal to harness renewable energy and waste heat for deep space missions, such as that to the Mars. Such a technology can leverage solar energy using solar concentrators and waste heat produced from other systems, and thus creating a more self-sustaining power generation option at remote locations as well as on transportation vehicles. These diamond TEC cathodes are ideally suited for integration with Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) as a power generator. SOFCs consist entirely of solid-state materials, allowing for quiet, vibration-free power production for extended periods of time with little to no maintenance. Unlike low-temperature fuel cells that can be fueled only by pure hydrogen, SOFCs can reform numerous hydrocarbon fuels such as natural gas (methane) that is available in abundance on Mars, and due to their high operating temperatures, making it an attractive prospect for NASA. SOFC power generation process is extremely efficient, achieving more than 50% efficiency when converting natural gas to electricity.

Through the combination of our highly promising Thermionic Energy Conversion (TEC) research with existing Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) technology, which has the potential to reliably supply DC power at 1/20th the cost of purchasing from the existing AC electrical grid. It has the flexibility to be fueled by numerous gaseous species (including widely available natural gas), and will produce lower greenhouse gas emissions per kWh than existing large-scale power generation technologies. Such a system will serve the needs of the United States military which often establishes temporary bases in regions lacking reliable power supply. The TEC-SOFC system can provide a reliable, highly portable power generator allowing for easy delivery and deployment that can utilize a wide variety of fuel sources, including JP-8, the standard U.S. Military fuel at high operational efficiency to lessen fuel resupply needs. Another possible group of customers include our electrical utility companies, such as TVA, by offering a viable alternative to the current organization of the nation's centralized, highly interdependent electrical grid. By using TEC-SOFC power generators and integrating them into several smaller, distributed, DC micro-grids would create a power system that would be virtually invulnerable to a disaster. Additionally, shifting to DC power is highly feasible and would lead to higher efficiencies due the lack of AC-DC conversions. More »