Alumina substrate supported solid oxide fuel cells
AssigneeUniversity of South Carolina
InventorsXingjian Xue, Chunlei Ren
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Abstract
Solid oxide fuel cells that include an alumina substrate as support are described. The alumina substrate supported SOFCs can exhibit desirable electrochemical characteristics including high performance at intermediate temperatures and excellent thermal stability. The alumina substrate support is formed according to a modified phase-inversion process that forms a series of aligned micro-channels extending from a first side to a second opposite side of the support enabling gas distribution between an electrode (e.g., an anode) located on one side of the alumina substrate and the other, opposite side of the alumina substrate.
Claims23
A solid oxide fuel cell comprising:
- an alumina substrate comprising a plurality of micro-channels between a first side of the alumina substrate and a second, opposite side of the alumina substrate, the micro-channels including micro-channels that are open on the first side of the alumina substrate and that extend from the first side of the alumina substrate to the second, opposite side of the alumina substrate along an uninterrupted straight line extending from the first side to the second, opposite side;
- a first electrode layer adjacent to the second side of the alumina substrate;
- an electrolyte layer adjacent to the first electrode layer, wherein the first electrode layer is between the alumina substrate and the electrolyte layer;
- and
- a second electrode layer adjacent to the electrolyte layer, wherein the electrolyte layer is between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.