High temperature fuel cell
AssigneeSulzer Innotec AG
InventorEmad Batawi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A high temperature fuel cell has a planar substantially centrally symmetrical structure. It includes an electrochemically active plate and an interconnector formed as an air heat exchanger. The air infeed positions are arranged at the periphery of the cell. The interconnector is built up in three layers: the middle layer consists of a plate which has at least approximately the same thermal expansion as the electrochemically active plate, and the side layers are formed of metal sheets which are substantially thinner than the plate of the middle layer. The metal sheets have a relief-like structure and are firmly connected to the middle plate via a plurality of contact positions. The metal side sheets are designed for a direct contact with the electrochemically active plate and the corresponding plate of a neighboring cell.
Claims13
A high temperature fuel cell having a planar, substantially centrally symmetrical structure and comprising:
- an electrochemically active plate;
- and
- an interconnector formed as an air heat exchanger having air infeed positions arranged at the periphery, the interconnector comprising three layers;
- wherein a middle layer of the three layers consists of a plate that has approximately at least the same thermal expansion as the electrochemically active plate;
- wherein side layers of the three layers are formed of metal sheets having uneven surfaces and are thinner than the middle layer plate, the side layers being connected to the middle plate via a plurality of contact positions;
- and
- wherein the side layers are configured such that they have direct contacts with the electrochemically active plate as well as a neighboring cell.
A fuel cell battery comprising cells arranged as a stack, each cell having a planar, substantially centrally symmetrical structure and comprising:
- an electrochemically active plate;
- and
- an interconnector formed as an air heat exchanger having air infeed positions arranged at the periphery, the interconnector comprising three layers;
- wherein a middle layer of the three layers consists of a plate that has approximately at least the same thermal expansion as the electrochemically active plate;
- wherein side layers of the three layers are formed of metal sheets having uneven surfaces and are thinner than the middle layer plate, the side layers being connected to the middle plate via a plurality of contact positions;
- and
- wherein the side layers are configured such that they have direct contacts with the electrochemically active plate as well as a neighboring cell.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.