Kansai Electric Power Co., Mitsubishi Materials Corp. and a research institution said Monday they have developed a new fuel cell that is capable of high power generation and features improved durability.
Kansai Electric, Mitsubishi Materials and the Japan Fine Ceramics Center said they plan to jointly develop a pilot unit capable of generating several kilowatts of electricity with an eye to putting the new Solid Oxide Fuel Cell to practical use in the near future. They hope to have it ready in the next two to three years, they said.
The new SOFC will be available for home use as a small-size power source.
The operating temperature of the conventional SOFC is around 1,000, meaning other materials used in conjunction with the battery tend to deteriorate quickly.
The new SOFC boasts lower operating temperatures of about 600 to 800, they said.