Professor Olivera Kesler

BSE (U. of Pennsylvania), SM (MIT), ScD (MIT)

Areas of Research

• Solid Oxide Fuel Cells
• Fuel Cell Materials and Manufacturing
• Graded and Multi-Layered Materials
• Plasma Spray and Sol Gel Processing

Research Work

Fuel Cell Materials and Manufacturing

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are the most efficient known energy conversion device, producing electricity from a variety of fuels, including renewable biomass, hydrogen, or natural gas, with no pollution-forming emissions. However, their use remains severely limited by high costs, as well as by low durability and reliability. Current projects are aimed at lowering the cost and improving the durability of fuel cells, both SOFCs and Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs), through the use of new materials and processing techniques to produce fuel cells more rapidly using a process that is easily scaleable for mass production. Work is also focused on understanding the electrochemical performance and degradation behaviour of SOFCs, in order to develop strategies to increase their durability.

Selected Publications

• O. Kesler, Plasma Spray Processing of Planar Solid Oxide Fuel Cells, Materials Science Forum, v 539-543, (2007), 1385-1390.
• H. Chhina, S. Campbell, O. Kesler, Thermal and electrochemical stability of tungsten carbide catalyst supports, Journal of Power Sources, in press (2006), doi:10.1016/j.jpowsour.2006.11.003.
• H. Chhina, S. Campbell, O. Kesler, Oxidation-resistant indium tin oxide catalyst support for PEMFCs, Journal of Power Sources, 161(2), (2006), 893-900.
• M. Keshmiri, O. Kesler, Colloidal formation of monodisperse YSZ spheres: Kinetics of nucleation and growth, Acta Materialia, v. 54, n. 16, (2006), p. 4149-4157.
• X. Zhang, M. Robertson, C. Deces-Petit, Y. Xie, R. Hui, S. Yick, E. Styles, J. Roller, O. Kesler, R. Maric, D. Ghosh, NiO-YSZ Cermet-supported low temperature solid oxide fuel cells, Journal of Power Sources, 161 (2006), 301-307.
• X. Zhang, M. Robertson, S. Yick, C. Deces-Petit, E. Styles, W. Qu, Y. Xie, R. Hui, J. Roller, O. Kesler, R. Maric, D. Ghosh, Sm0.5Sr0.5CoO3 + Sm0.2Ce0.8O1.9 Composite Cathode for Cermet Supported Thin Sm0.2Ce0.8O1.9 Electrolyte SOFC Operating Below 600oC, Journal of Power Sources, 160 (2006), 1211-1216.

Visit the Fuel Cell Materials and Manufacturing Laboratory

University of Toronto
Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering
5 King's College Road
Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G8

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