Current collector for solid oxide fuel cell tube with internal fuel processing
AssigneeAdaptive Materials, Inc.
InventorsAaron T. Crumm, Christopher J. Reilly, Timothy LaBreche
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A solid oxide fuel cell includes a tube, a spacer element, a catalytic substrate and an anode current collector. The solid oxide fuel cell further includes a spacer element disposed within the tube. The solid oxide fuel cell further includes a catalytic substrate disposed within the anode current collector electrically contacting the anode of the tube and providing an electrical current path inside the tube past the catalytic substrate to the inlet opening.
Claims20
A solid oxide fuel cell comprising:
- a tube comprising an inlet opening, an exhaust opening, an electrolyte, an anode positioned interiorly from the electrolyte, and a cathode positioned exteriorly from the electrolyte;
- a spacer element disposed within the tube;
- a catalytic substrate disposed within the spacer element, the catalytic substrate being configured to receive unreformed fuel and to convert the unreformed fuel to reformed fuel;
- and
- an anode current collector contacting the anode of the tube and providing an electrical current path inside the tube past the catalytic substrate to the inlet opening.
The fuel cell system of claim 9, wherein the brush portion comprises loop members contacting the anode of the tube.
A solid oxide fuel cell comprising:
- a plurality of tubes, each comprising an inlet opening, an exhaust opening, an electrolyte, an anode positioned interiorly from the electrolyte, and a cathode positioned exteriorly from the electrolyte;
- a spacer element disposed within each tube;
- a catalytic substrate disposed within each spacer element, the catalytic substrate being configured to receive unreformed fuel and to convert the unreformed fuel to reformed fuel;
- and
- an anode current collector contacting the anode of each tube and providing an electrical current path inside the tube past the catalytic substrate to the inlet opening.
The fuel cell system of claim 15, wherein the active area is disposed downstream from and proximate to the catalytic substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.