Solid oxide electrolyte, fuel cell module, and method
AssigneeCorning Incorporated
InventorsJohn D. Helfinstine, Thomas D. Ketcham, Eric J. Maher, Dell J. St. Julien
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Abstract
Flexible ceramic sheets with enhanced strain tolerance for electrochemical applications such as solid oxide fuel cell electrolytes incorporate a surface indentation pattern providing a strain tolerance of not less than 0.5% in any direction in the sheet plane, being made from flexible green ceramic sheet comprising a ceramic powder and a thermoplastic organic binder by heating and reshaping the green sheet to form a multi-directional surface corrugation pattern therein, followed by firing to sinter the ceramic powder to a flexible ceramic sheet having a multi-directional surface corrugation pattern.
Claims9
A solid oxide fuel cell module comprising:
- (a) a flexible ceramic electrolyte sheet of generally planar configuration having a surface indentation pattern comprising multiple indentations selected from the group consisting of multi-directional corrugations or waves, protrusions, and indentations, said indentation pattern providing a multiaxial strain tolerance not less than 0.5% in any direction in the sheet plane;
- (b) a cathode layer disposed on a first side of the electrolyte sheet;
- and
- (c) an anode layer disposed on a second side of the electrolyte sheet.
A solid oxide fuel cell module incorporating a flexible ceramic electrolyte sheet of generally planar configuration incorporating anodes and cathodes on opposing surfaces thereof, the sheet having at least one surface portion incorporating a surface indentation pattern comprising an array of surface indentations, protrusions and/or multi-directional corrugations, wherein:
- (a) the surface indentation pattern is positioned such that the surface portion is free of uninterrupted ridge or flat lines traversing the surface portion;
- (b) the surface indentation pattern does not exceed 2 mm in height from the sheet plane;
- and
- (c) the array imparts a theoretical strain tolerance of at least about 0.5% to the surface portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.