US 4,538,348 A · Molten carbonate fuel cell matrix tape and assembly method

Abstract

A matrix material for a molten carbonate fuel cell is described which is flexible, pliable and has rubber-like compliance at room temperature. The matrix has three components comprising fine inert particulate material, larger crack attenuating ceramic particulate material, and an organic polymeric binder. A process of assembling a molten carbonate fuel cell utilizing the compliant matrix material is also described. The compliant matrix material is inserted into a molten carbonate fuel cell stack utilizing fuel cell anodes with sufficient porosity to contain excess electrolyte. The fuel cell is heated up to a temperature sufficient to remove the polymer binder and cause a portion of the electrolyte material present in the anode to wick into the matrix to substantially fill it completely.

Claims7

Dependent claims

In the process of assembling a molten carbonate fuel cell including forming a fuel cell stack by stacking a plurality of electrodes separated by layers of matrix material, wherein the improvement comprises:

inserting as the matrix material a matrix comprising particles inert to molten carbonate electrolyte having a particle size less than about one micron, ceramic particles having a particle size greater than about 25 microns, and an organic polymer binder material, the binder material being present in an amount of at least about 35% by volume, the matrix material being flexible, pliable, and compliant at room temperature, into the fuel cell stack, and utilizing as the fuel cell anode, an anode with sufficient porosity to contain sufficient electrolyte for continuous operation of the molten carbonate fuel cell for at least 40,000 hours.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Molten carbonate fuel cell matrix tape and assembly method

Life of this patent

Molten carbonate fuel cell matrix tape and assembly method

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims7