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US 2006/0134489 A1Published application
Compact solid oxide fuel cell stack
AssigneeAlberta Innovates - Technology Futures
InventorsPartho Sarkar, Lorne Johanson, Hongsang Rho
Life of this patent
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Abstract
This invention relates to a solid oxide fuel cell stack comprising a plurality of tubular solid oxide fuel cells each comprising concentric inner and outer electrode layers sandwiching a concentric electrolyte layer. The fuel cells extend in the same direction and are arranged in a cluster with at least one fuel cell having an electrolyte layer with a different composition and different maximum operating temperature than another fuel cell in the cluster. The fuel cell having the electrolyte layer with a higher maximum operating temperature is located closer to the core of the cluster than the fuel cell having the electrolyte layer with a lower maximum operating temperature.
Claims37
A solid oxide fuel cell stack comprising:
- a plurality of tubular solid oxide fuel cells each comprising concentric inner and outer electrode layers sandwiching a concentric electrolyte layer,
- the fuel cells extending in substantially the same direction and arranged in a cluster with at least one fuel cell having an electrolyte layer with a different composition and different maximum operating temperature than another fuel cell in the cluster, the fuel cell having the electrolyte layer with a higher maximum operating temperature being located closer to the core of the cluster than the fuel cell having the electrolyte layer with a lower maximum operating temperature.
A solid oxide fuel cell stack comprising
- a) an inner tubular solid oxide fuel cell comprising concentric inner and outer electrode layers sandwiching a concentric electrolyte layer, the electrolyte layer having a suitable composition to operate at or below a first maximum operating temperature;
- b) a middle tubular solid oxide fuel cell inside which the inner fuel cell is located, the middle fuel cell comprising a pair of concentric inner and outer electrode layers sandwiching a concentric electrolyte layer, the electrolyte layer having a suitable composition to operate at or below a second maximum operating temperature that is lower than the first maximum operating temperature;
- and
- c) an outer tubular solid oxide fuel cell inside which the inner and middle fuel cells are located, the outer fuel cell comprising a pair of concentric inner and outer electrode layers sandwiching a concentric electrolyte layer, the electrolyte layer having a suitable composition to operate at or below a third maximum operating temperature that is lower than the first maximum operating temperature;
- the inner electrode of the inner fuel cell, outer electrode of the middle fuel cell, and the inner electrode of the outer fuel cell being one of an anode and cathode, and the outer electrode of the first inner fuel cell, the inner electrode of the middle fuel cell, and the outer electrode of the outer fuel cell being the other of the anode and cathode.
2 more elements
A solid oxide fuel cell stack comprising:
- a) a first inner tubular solid oxide fuel cell comprising concentric inner and outer electrode layers sandwiching a concentric electrolyte layer, the electrolyte layer having a suitable composition to operate at or below a first maximum operating temperature, and
- b) a first outer tubular solid oxide fuel cell inside which the first inner fuel cell is located, the first outer fuel cell comprising a pair of concentric inner and outer electrode layers sandwiching a concentric electrolyte layer, the electrolyte layer having a suitable composition to operate at or below a second maximum operating temperature that is lower than the first maximum operating temperature,
- the inner electrode of the first inner fuel cell and outer electrode of the first outer fuel cell being one of an anode and cathode, and the outer electrode of the first inner fuel cell and the inner electrode of the first outer fuel cell being the other of the anode and cathode.
A solid oxide fuel cell stack comprising
- a) an electrically conductive support plate;
- and,
- b) a plurality of tubular solid oxide fuel cell sub-stacks arranged side-by-side on the support plate, each fuel cell sub-stack comprising at least one fuel cell having concentric inner and outer electrode layers sandwiching a concentric electrolyte layer.
A method of manufacturing a solid oxide fuel cell comprising:
- a) arranging a plurality of longitudinally-extending combustible cores side-by-side in a cluster;
- b) using one of electrophoretic deposition, metal electrodeposition and composite electrodeposition to deposit enough inner electrode material onto the cores that the outer periphery of the cluster is covered with electrode material thereby forming a continuous inner electrode layer around the cluster;
- c) depositing electrolyte material onto the inner electrode layer to form an electrolyte layer;
- d) sintering the layers such that the combustible cores combust and at least one reactant channel is formed inside the inner electrode layer;
- and
- e) applying an outer electrode layer onto the electrolyte layer.
3 more elements
A method of manufacturing a solid oxide fuel cell stack comprising:
- a) arranging a plurality of longitudinally-extending combustible cores side-by-side in a transversely spaced cluster;
- b) forming a plurality of fuel cells by one of electrophoretically depositing, metal electrodepositing and composite electrodepositing inner electrode material onto each core to form an inner electrode layer, then depositing an electrolyte material onto each core to form an electrolyte layer, and applying sufficient outer electrode material onto each electrolyte layer that the outer electrode layer of each fuel cell is physically coupled to an electrode layer of an adjacent fuel cell,
- c) sintering the layers such that the combustible cores combust, thereby forming an inner reactant channel for each fuel cell.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.