Direct hydrocarbon fuel cells
AssigneeNorthwestern University
InventorsScott A. Barnett, Jiang Liu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of using a hydrocarbon fuel to operate a solid oxide fuel cell, such a cell comprising one or more components which can be prepared using a centrifugal deposition technique of the type described herein.
Claims30
A method of using a hydrocarbon fuel to operate a solid oxide fuel cell, said method comprising:
- providing a solid oxide fuel cell having an anode comprising a catalytic metal;
- and
- introducing a hydrocarbon fuel to said anode, said fuel absent at least one of sufficient carbon dioxide and water sufficient to convert said hydrocarbon fuel to hydrogen, said method substantially absent a hydrocarbon reforming stage.
A method of using a hydrocarbon fuel to increase the open circuit voltage of a solid oxide fuel cell, said method comprising:
- providing a solid oxide fuel cell having an anode comprising a metal catalytic for hydrocarbon cracking;
- introducing a hydrocarbon fuel to said anode to operate said cell;
- and
- increasing the operating temperature of said cell above about 600° C.
A method of preparing a solid oxide fuel cell component, said method comprising:
- preparing a slurry of a component material;
- providing a supporting substrate, said slurry and said supporting substrate in a centrifuge apparatus;
- and
- applying centrifugal force to said slurry and said supporting substrate, said force sufficient to deposit said component material on said supporting substrate.
A method of using centrifugal force to prepare a solid oxide fuel cell component, said method comprising:
- preparing a slurry of a ceramic electrolyte material;
- providing an anode substrate, said slurry and said anode substrate in a centrifuge apparatus;
- and
- applying centrifugal force to said slurry and said anode substrate, said force sufficient to deposit said electrolyte material on said anode substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.