The technical goal is to demonstrate the accelerated discovery, design, and laser convergent manufacturing of low-temperature (< 650°C) oxygen-conducting solid oxide electrolyzer cell(LT-O-SOEC)…

The technical goal is to demonstrate the accelerated discovery, design, and laser convergent manufacturing of low-temperature (< 650°C) oxygen-conducting solid oxide electrolyzer cell(LT-O-SOEC) with a minimum active area > 15 CM2, to achieve or exceed the targets of = 1.2A/CM2 at 1.3 V/cell with = 3 MV/KHR degradation rate. The goal of the community benefits plan (CBP) is to help ensure the results from the project have a wide and equitable positive impact across united state (US) communities while avoiding inequitable negative impacts on any specific community, particularly those historically at risk from energy-related technologies or deindustrialization. To achieve the above-stated project goal, we will achieve the following objectives: during budget period 1: objective 1: design and validate the performance of novel electrolyte, electrode, buffer materials and interfaces. Objective 2: high throughput fabrication, characterization, and testing of micro-sample array to (1) efficiently screen and down-select vast combinatory possibilities of interface, microstructure, and cell architecture for optimal performances; and (2) quickly establish of datasets of processing-material-performance links for machine learning (ML) training. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) objective 1: "recruitment". Support recruitment activities to ensure equitable opportunities for student researchers from diverse communities. Energy equity objective 2: "hydrogen-orange start-up prize." initiate and award the "hydrogen-orange prize" each year to the team or individuals to present the most viable business opportunity related to hydrogen and clean energy technologies. Workforce objective 2: "research experience for teachers (RET) supplement." provide a new opportunity for 1 or 2 additional teachers per year to participate and work on projects related to clean energy and hydrogen research. During budget period 2: objective 3: establish and validate ML models to predict and design the materials and interface for the high-performance LT-O-SOEC, and the appropriate processing parameters for the ultra-fast, laser-selective convergent manufacturing (ULCM) of LT-O-SOEC. Objective 4: computational modeling to predict the defect-free laser processing parameters and design the optimal thermomechanical stability at both membrane electrode assembly (MEA) and stack levels. Objective 5: establish ML-based, in-process monitoring of microstructure and defects for quality assurance. DEIA objective 2: "mentor-learner." establish a DEIA "mentor-learner" program, matching researchers (graduate, small business) with the diversity of next-generation learners (schools, teachers, etc.). Energy equity objective 1: "summer energy equity workshop and project." establish a workshop each year, focusing on challenges and opportunities to advance energy equity through hydrogen and related clean energy technologies. During budget period 3: objective 6: ULCM of large area (> 15 CM2) MEA with precisely controlled microstructure and crystalline phase of dense electrolyte, porous electrodes, and heterogeneous interface. Objective 7: SOEC stack packaging and testing to validate the long-term performance stability of LT-O-SOEC stacks.