Tubular solid oxide fuel cell stack
AssigneeAlberta Reasearch Council, Inc.
InventorsPartho Sarkar, Hongsang Rho
Life of this patent
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Abstract
This invention relates to a fuel cell sub-stack comprising a plurality of tubular fuel cells, and a solid-state matrix in which the fuel cells are embedded. Each fuel cell comprises an inner electrode layer, an outer electrode layer, and an electrolyte layer sandwiched between the inner and outer electrode layers. The matrix is electronic or mixed (electronic and ionic) conductive, porous enough for a first reactant to flow through the matrix and to the outer electrode of each fuel cell, and strong enough to support the fuel cells in the stack. The fuel cells are embedded such that a second reactant may be flowed through the inside of each tubular fuel cell and to the inner electrode thereof. The sub-stack may be combined with other sub-stacks to form a fuel cell stack.
Claims35
A fuel stack comprising
- (a) a plurality of tubular fuel cells, each fuel cell comprising an inner electrode layer, an outer electrode layer, and an electrolyte layer sandwiched between the inner and outer electrode layers;
- and,
- (b) a solid-state electronic or mixed (electronic and ionic) conductive, porous matrix in which the fuel cells are embedded,
- wherein a first reactant is flowable through the matrix and to the outer electrode layer of at least one of the fuel cells, and a second reactant is flowable through the inside of at least one of the fuel cells and to the inner electrode thereof.
A method of producing a fuel cell stack comprising:
- (a) producing a plurality of tubular fuel cells, each fuel cell having an inner electrode layer, an outer electrode layer, and an electrolyte layer sandwiched between the inner and outer electrode layers;
- (b) coating the fuel cells with a slurry having a composition that includes a matrix material that upon sintering, becomes a solid-state electronic or mixed (electronic and ionic) conductive porous matrix;
- (c) stacking the fuel cells such that the slurry coating of each fuel cell is in contact with the slurry coating of adjacent fuel cells;
- and
- (d) sintering the coated and stacked fuel cells to solidify the matrix and embed the fuel cells therein,
- thereby producing a stack wherein a first reactant is flowable through the matrix and to the outer electrodes layer of at least one of the fuel cells, and a second reactant is flowable through the inside of at least one of the fuel cells and to the inner electrode thereof.
A method of producing a fuel cell stack comprising:
- (a) producing a plurality of tubular fuel cells, each fuel cell having an inner electrode layer, an outer electrode layer, and an electrolyte layer sandwiched between the inner and outer electrode layers;
- (b) providing a container of combustible members in a desired stack configuration and immersed in a slurry having a composition that includes a matrix material that upon sintering, becomes a solid-state electronic or mixed (electronic and ionic) conductive porous matrix;
- (c) sintering the slurry and combustible members such that the matrix is formed and the combustible members combust, thereby producing a plurality of channels in the matrix;
- and,
- (d) inserting at least one fuel cell into at least one channel;
- thereby producing a stack wherein a first reactant is flowable through the matrix and to the outer electrode layer of at least one of the fuel cells, and a second reactant is flowable through the inside of at least one of the fuel cells and to the inner electrode thereof.
A method of producing a fuel cell stack comprising:
- (a) producing a plurality of tubular fuel cells, each fuel cell having an inner electrode layer, an outer electrode layer, and an electrolyte layer sandwiched between the inner and outer electrode layers;
- (b) embedding the fuel cells in a combustible template material;
- (c) impregnating the template material with a slurry having a composition that includes a matrix material that upon sintering, becomes a solid-state electronic or mixed (electronic and ionic) conductive porous matrix;
- and
- (d) sintering the impregnated and fuel cell embedded template material such that the template material combusts, and the matrix is formed;
- thereby producing a stack wherein a first reactant is flowable through the matrix and to the outer electrode layer of at least one of the fuel cells, and a second reactant is flowable through the inside of at least one of the fuel cells and to the inner electrode thereof.
A fluid separation apparatus comprising
- (a) a plurality of tubular fluid separation membrane assemblies, each assembly comprising a porous separation layer and a porous support layer in adjacent contract with the separation layer, wherein the porosity of the separation layer is selected according to the fluids to be separated;
- and,
- (b) a solid-state porous matrix in which the assemblies are embedded,
- wherein an unseparated fluid is flowable through one of the matrix or the inside of at least one of the assemblies, and a separated fluid separated from the unseparated fluid by the separation layer is flowable through the other of the matrix and the inside of at least one of the assemblies.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.