# US 11,078,579 B2 · Component constituting an HTE electrolyser interconnector or SOFC fuel cell interconnector and associated production processes

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- Number: US 11,078,579 B2
- Document ID: US11078579B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/799,220
- Filed: 2020-02-24
- Published: 2020-07-02
- Granted: 2021-08-03
- Earliest claimed: 2012-09-26
- Assignees: Commissariat A L'energie Atomique Et Aux Energies Alternative
- Applicants: Commissariat A L'energie Atomique Et Aux Energies Alternatives
- Inventors: Richard Laucournet; Myriam Dalmasso; Cyril Rado
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11078579B2

## CPC

- C25B 1/04: by electrolysis of water
- C25B 1/042: by electrolysis of steam
- C25B 9/23: comprising ion-exchange membranes in or on which electrode material is embedded
- C25B 9/65: Means for supplying current; Electrode connections; Electric inter-cell connections
- C25B 9/70: Assemblies comprising two or more cells
- C25B 9/75: having bipolar electrodes
- C25B 9/77: having diaphragms
- C25B 11/036: Bipolar electrodes
- H01M 8/021: Alloys based on iron
- H01M 8/0217: Complex oxides, optionally doped, of the type AMO3, A being an alkaline earth metal or rare earth metal and M being a metal, e.g. perovskites
- H01M 8/0228: in the form of layered or coated products
- H01M 8/026: characterised by grooves, e.g. their pitch or depth
- H01M 8/04216: {characterised by the choice for a specific material, e.g. carbon, hydride, absorbent}
- H01M 8/12: operating at high temperature, e.g. with stabilised ZrO2 electrolyte
- H01M 8/2425: High-temperature cells with solid electrolytes
- H01M 8/2432: Grouping of unit cells of planar configuration
- H01M 50/522: Inorganic material
- H01M 2008/1293: {Fuel cells with solid oxide electrolytes}
- Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries
- Y02E 60/36: Hydrogen production from non-carbon containing sources, e.g. by water electrolysis
- Y02E 60/50: Fuel cells
- Y02P 70/50: Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
- C25B: ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF COMPOUNDS OR NON-METALS; APPARATUS THEREFOR (anodic or cathodic protection C23F13/00; single-crystal growth C30B)
- H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

The invention relates to a component (8) comprising a substrate made of chromia-former metal alloy (82), the basic element of which is iron (Fe) or nickel (Ni), wherein the substrate has two main planar faces. According to the invention: one of the main planar faces is coated with a coating comprising a thick layer of ceramic (80), grooved to delimit channels (800) suitable for the distribution and/or collection of gases, such as H2O water vapour, H2 or air, and/or one of the main planar faces is coated with a thick metal layer (81), grooved to delimit channels (810) suitable for the distribution and/or collection of gases, such as H2O water vapour, H2, O2 or draining gas. The invention also relates to the associated production processes.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A process for preparing a fuel cell (SOFC) or a high-temperature electrolyzer (HTE), comprising the following steps:
a/ preparing a substrate made of metal alloy, of chromia-forming type, the base element of which is iron (Fe) or nickel (Ni), the substrate having two main flat faces;
b/ coating one of the flat faces of the substrate with a thick ceramic layer in a green state and coating the other flat face of the substrate with a thick metallic layer in a green state;
c/ grooving the thick ceramic layer and the thick metallic layer so as to delimit channels that are suitable for distributing and/or collecting gases; and
d/ forming a stack of elementary electrolysis cells each formed from a cathode, an anode and an electrolyte intercalated between the cathode and the anode;
wherein:
to prepare an HTE reactor, the thick grooved ceramic layer in a green state is in contact with the anode of one of two adjacent elementary cells, and the thick grooved metallic layer in a green state is in contact with the cathode of the other of the two adjacent elementary cells; or
to prepare an SOFC, the thick grooved ceramic layer in a green state is in contact with the cathode of one of two adjacent elementary cells, and the thick grooved metallic layer in a green state is in contact with the anode of the other of the two adjacent elementary cells;
e/ applying a compression force to the stack of elementary electrolysis cells to form the HTE reactor or SOFC, wherein the compression force causes one or more ceramic layer and/or metallic layer to be deformed such that any imperfections between the elementary electrolysis cells in the stack are compensated for by the deformation of the layer; and
f/ obtaining an HTE reactor or SOFC.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The process as claimed in claim 1, in which, prior to step b, the thick ceramic or metallic layer is obtained by tape casting, step b comprising hot-bonding or hot-pressing or chemical bonding of the strip to one or other of the faces of the substrate.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The process as claimed in claim 2, step b comprising hot-pressing or hot-bonding of the green ceramic strip at a temperature of between 60 and 130° C.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein step b comprises screen printing in thick layers of a ceramic or metallic paste onto one or other of the faces of the substrate.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein step c comprises calendaring a green ceramic strip obtained by tape casting between two rolls heated to the softening point of the polymers of the ceramic strip, at least one of the two rolls comprising ribs corresponding to the channels to be delimited.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein step c is performed by laser ablation once step b has been completed.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The process as claimed in claim 6, wherein step c is performed using a CO2 laser.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The process as claimed in claim 6, wherein step c is completed after several passes of the laser over the thick layer.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thick ceramic layer comprises a lanthanum manganite of formula La1-xSrxMO3 with M (transition metals)=Ni, Fe, Co, Mn, Cr, alone or as a mixture, or materials of lamellar structure such as lanthanide nickelates of formula Ln2NiO4(Ln=La, Nd, Pr), or another electrically conductive perovskite oxide.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thick metallic layer comprises nickel (Ni) or an alloy thereof or a chromia-forming alloy whose base element is iron (Fe).

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thickness of the ceramic or metallic layer is between 60 and 500 μm.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the chromia-forming metal alloy of the substrate is chosen from ferritic (Fe-Cr), austenitic (Ni—Fe-Cr) stainless-steel alloys or superalloys based on nickel forming at the surface a layer of chromium oxide Cr2O3, known as the chromia layer.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the substrate consists of at least one sheet, wherein the thickness of the at least one sheet is between 0.1 mm and 1 mm.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the substrate consists of a single plate with flat main faces.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The process as claimed in claim 14, wherein the thickness of the plate is between 1 and 10 mm.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the width of the channels is between 0.15 and 5 mm.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the depth of the channels is between 0.1 and 0.5 mm.