Preface

Increasingly, there is a drive to identify alternatives to fossil fuel combustion processes that will address worldwide growth in energy demand, and so mitigate the effects of climate change. This has led to burgeoning interest in technologies that convert and store energy cleanly. The applications of these technologies are myriad, from large grid scale storage for energy networks through to mobile and portable devices for transport applications. Underpinning each of these technological advances are the development and understanding of fundamental materials chemistry: of the individual bulk components, of the interfaces between components and increasingly in how the materials function in a device. This underpinning knowledge is coupled with the wider energy landscape that considers the distribution of resources, the need for energy generation and storage, its transport and ultimately its cost. There is currently no clear single solution that will address the continuing need to use energy, in mobile devices, in remote locations and in population centres, for both heating and cooling, personal travel, public transport and international freight, as examples. It is clear that a diverse mixture of technologies will provide solutions, and the aim of this book is to provide the reader with an introduction to some of the latest advances in these key technologies.

In this book the focus is “Energy Conversion and Storage Materials” and it is broadly structured to introduce energy conversion technologies before moving on to discuss energy storage. The initial chapters are concerned with the production of energy through a solid oxide fuel cell, converting a gaseous fuel to electricity with high efficiency and at lower temperatures than previously considered feasible. This is followed by a chapter on co-electrolysis in which high-temperature ceramic devices are used to convert mixtures of CO₂ and H₂O into useful products such as synthesis gas. Of course, generating energy is only one of the many challenges surrounding the growth in energy demand. The other is the safe and effective storage of that energy, with the most common route being through batteries. The advent of all-solid-state batteries offers a new alternative to flammable liquid electrolytes and Chapter 3 discusses the development of solid state lithium electrolytes. The final two chapters address new approaches to energy storage with thermochemical storage through redox processes and thermoelectric oxides considered. Each of these technologies offer significant advantages over competing conventional power conversion technologies and are likely to have a significant impact either individually, or in hybrid devices.

Stephen Skinner