A method of making a monolithic fuel cell device, comprising:
- dispensing a first paste of anode material around a first plurality of spaced-apart removable physical structures to at least partially surround each of the first plurality of spaced-apart removable physical structures with the anode material;
- dispensing a second paste of cathode material around a second plurality of spaced-apart removable physical structures to at least partially surround each of the second plurality of spaced-apart removable physical structures with the cathode material;
- dispensing a third paste of ceramic material around the first and second plurality of spaced-apart removable physical structures adjacent to the anode and cathode materials to at least partially surround each of the first and second plurality of spaced-apart removable physical structures with the ceramic material;
- drying the first, second and third pastes to form an anode layer and a cathode layer, wherein each of the anode layer and the cathode layer has a constant width and a shape that conforms in a lengthwise direction to a curvature of the first and second plurality of spaced-apart removable physical structures, respectively;
- positioning an intervening layer of ceramic material configured to function as an electrolyte in a multi-layer stack between the cathode layer and the anode layer, wherein an active cell portion of the multi-layer stack is formed by the anode material of the anode layer in opposing relation to the cathode material of the cathode layer with the intervening layer of ceramic material therebetween, and passive cell portions are formed by the ceramic material adjacent to the active cell portion in each of the anode layer, cathode layer and intervening layer;
- laminating the multi-layer stack;
- pulling the first and second plurality of removable physical structures out of the laminated multi-layer stack to reveal spaced-apart active passages formed through the active cell portion of each of the anode layer and the cathode layer and spaced apart passive passages formed through the passive cell portion of each of the anode layer and the cathode layer;
- and
- sintering the laminated multi-layer stack to form an active cell comprising the spaced apart active passages embedded in and supported by the sintered anode material and sintered cathode material and a passive support structure comprising the spaced apart passive passages embedded in and supported by the sintered ceramic material and that transition integrally to the active passages within the active cell,
- wherein at least one end portion of at least one of the first and second plurality of spaced-apart removable physical structures is curved in a direction away from the same end portion of the other one of the first and second plurality of spaced-apart removable physical structures resulting in a split end in the fuel cell device to which separate gas inputs can be coupled.