Fuel cells * Chemical thermodynamics * Kinetics and transport phenomena to model the behavior of electrochemical systems

The overarching theme of Professor Pal’s research is to utilize materials-based solutions to the critical environmental and energy crises confronting us. Electrochemical Devices convert and utilize chemical and electrical energies at high efficiencies and are thus eminently suited for many applications resulting in reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Life and cost of these devices and systems are principal barriers to their commercialization.

On-going research in Professor Pal’s laboratory are on: solid oxide fuel cells, solid-oxide-membrane based electrolytic cells for converting waste to hydrogen, hydrogen storage materials, solid-oxide-membrane based inert anodes for green syntheses of energy-intensive metals, and devices based on mixed-ion-electron-conducting oxide membranes for generating and separating pure hydrogen from hydrocarbons enabling CO₂ sequestration.

Selected Publications

• Uday B. Pal, “A Lower Carbon Foot Print Process for Production of Metals from their Oxide Sources”, J. of Metals, 60(2), 2008, p. 36
• Kyung Joong Yoon, Srikanth Gopalan, Uday B. Pal, “Effect of Anode Active Layer on Performance of Single Step Co-fired Solid Oxide Fuel Cells at High Fuel Utilizations,” J. Electrochemical Society, vol. 155 (6), 2008, p. B610.
• M. Suput,, R. Delucas, S. Pati, G. Ye, U. Pal, A.C. Powell IV, “Solid Oxide Membrane Technology for Environmentally Sound Production of Titanium,”Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy, vol. 117, (2), 2008 , p 118.
• Wenhua Huang, Srikanth Gopalan, Uday B. Pal, and Soumendra N. Basu , “Evaluation of electrophoretically deposited CuMn1.8O4 spinel coatings on Crofer 22 APU for solid oxide fuel cell interconnects,”J. Electrochemical Society, vol. 155 (11), 2008, p. B1161.
• K.J. Yoon, S. Gopalan, and U.B. Pal, “Analysis of Electrochemical Performance of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells Using Polarization Modeling and Impedance Spectroscopy,” J. Electrochemical Society, 156 (3), 2009, p. B311.
• K.J. Yoon, P.A. Zink, S. Gopalan, U.B. Pal, and L.R. Pederson, “Defect Chemistry and Electrical Properties of (La0.8Ca0.2)0.95FeO3 ,” J. Electrochemical Society, vol. 156 (7), 2009, p. B795.
• S. Pati, K.J. Yoon, S. Gopalan, and U.B. Pal, “Hydrogen Production Using Solid Oxide Membrane Electrolyzer with Solid Carbon Reductant in Liquid Metal Anode,” J. Electrochemical Society, 156 (9), 2009, p. B1067.
• S. Pati, K.J. Yoon, S. Gopalan, and U.B. Pal, “Electrochemical Characterization of a Solid Oxide Membrane Electrolyzer for Production of High Purity H₂,” Metallurgical and Materials Transaction B, 40 (4), 2009, p. 457.
• P.A. Zink, K.J. Yoon, S. Gopalan, and U.B. Pal, “”Analysis of the Electronic and Ionic Conductivity of Ca-Doped Lanthanum Ferrite,” Electrochemical and Solid-State Letters, 12, 2009, p. B141.
• W. He, K.J. Yoon, R.S. Eriksen, S. Gopalan, S.N. Basu, U.B. Pal, “Out-of-Cell Measurements of H₂-H₂O Effective Binary Diffusivity in the Porous Anode of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs),” J. Power Sources, 195, 2010, p. 532.
• K.J. Yoon, G. Ye, S. Gopalan, and U.B. Pal, “Cost-effective Single Step Co-firing Process for Manufacturing Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) using High Shear Compaction (HSC)TM Anode,” J. Fuel Cell Science and Technology, 7 (2), 2010, p. 1010.
• S. Pati, S. Gopalan and U.B. Pal, “A Solid Oxide Membrane Electrolyzer for Production of Hydrogen and Syn-gas from Steam and Hydrocarbon Waste in a Single Step,” International J. Hydrogen Energy, 36, 2011, p. 152.
• L. F. J. Piper, A. R. H. Preston, S.-W. Cho, A. DeMasi, B. Chen, J. Laverock, K. E. Smith, L. J. Miara, J. N. Davis, S. N. Basu, U. Pal, S. Gopalan, L. Saraf, T. Kaspar, A. Y. Matsuura, P.-A. Glans, and J.-H. Guo, “Soft X-Ray Spectroscopic Study of Dense Strontium-Doped Lanthanum Manganite Cathodes for Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Applications,” J. Electrochemical Society, 158 (2), 2011, p.B99.
• H.Wang, S.Gopalan, and U.B. Pal, “Hydrogen generation and separation using Gd_0.2Ce_0.8O_1.9−δ–Gd_0.08Sr_0.88Ti_0.95Al_0.05O_3±δ mixed ionic and electronic conducting membranes,” Electrochimica Acta 56, 2011, p. 6989.