Electrochemical cell carrier seal and processes for manufacturing and fitting said seal

A method for manufacturing and assembling a gasket in an electrochemical device, wherein the method comprises:

• (a) machining of a support electrically insulating comprising a one-piece frame in a porous material selected from the group formed by porous ceramics and porous minerals, which has two main parallel faces respectively facing two metal spans, an external peripheral edge and an internal peripheral edge, for perforating at least one through-channel from one of said main faces to the other through the support,
• (b) depositing a seal, such as a glass or vitroceramic paste, onto said main faces and in said at least one through-channel for obtaining a blank of the gasket before assembling;
• and
• (c) assembling the gasket within a stack of at least one cell of the device, comprising two metal spans, at a temperature comprised between 600° C. and 900° C. and under an applied pressure in order to melt the seal while setting the seal into place, so that two external portions of the seal cover at least partly respectively the two main faces of the support, wherein an internal portion of the seal fills the at least one through-channel and connects the two external portions so that the seal continuously extends from one of said metal spans to the other through the support, for forming at least one sealed partition continuously extending from one of said main faces to the other so that the seal partitions the support between said internal peripheral edge and said external peripheral edge by, directly connecting these spans to each other,
• wherein the two main parallel faces are spaced, respectively, from the two metal spans.

An electrochemical device of the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) type or solid oxide high temperature steam electrolyzer (SOEC) type, the device comprising:

• at least one cell which comprises a hydrogen electrode-electrolyte-oxygen electrode assembly and which delimits two chambers,
• at least two electric contact elements with said at least one cell respectively positioned in contact with said electrodes,
• at least two metal spans forming interconnectors which distribute into said at least one cell an electric current and gases;
• and
• seal gaskets which are each mounted in contact with a pair of said interconnectors,
• wherein at least one of said gaskets is a gasket comprising:
• a support electrically insulating comprising a one-piece frame in a porous material selected from the group formed by porous ceramics and porous minerals, which has two main parallel faces respectively facing the two metal spans, an external peripheral edge and an internal peripheral edge, wherein the support is machined so as to define perforated surfaces through the frame forming at least one through-channel extending from one of the main faces to the other, with a predetermined geometry, wherein the gasket is mounted against these spans through these main faces,
• a seal supported by the support and comprising at least one material of the glass or vitroceramic type, wherein two external portions of the seal cover at least partly respectively the two main faces, wherein an internal portion of the seal fills the at least one through-channel and connects the two external portions so that the seal continuously extends from one of said metal spans to the other through the support, for forming at least one sealed partition continuously extending from one of said main faces to the other so that the seal partitions the support between said internal peripheral edge and said external peripheral edge by, directly connecting these spans to each other,
• wherein the two main parallel faces are spaced, respectively, from the two metal spans.