Electrode pattern for solid state ionic devices
AssigneeVersa Power Systems, Ltd.
InventorsZheng Tang, Debabrata Ghosh
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A solid oxide fuel cell electrode is stable during thermal cycling and includes a plurality of discrete geometric elements lightly packed on the electrolyte surface. Preferably, the geometric elements are regular hexagons, creating a “Thoneycomb” pattern electrode.
Claims10
A solid oxide fuel cell comprising an electrode layer applied to an electrolyte layer wherein the electrode layer is not contiguous but rather is formed from a plurality of substantially discrete hexagonal elements separated by substantially linear and uniform gaps, such that adjacent hexagons have parallel edges, wherein the gaps take up less than about 2% of the surface area of the electrode.
A method of applying an electrode layer to an electrolyte layer in a SOFC comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a screen defining a pattern comprising a plurality of discrete elements;
- (b) screen printing an electrode paste through the screen and onto the electrolyte such that the resulting electrode layer comprises a plurality of discrete elements that have a regular hexagonal shape and which are separated by substantially linear, uniform and narrow gaps, wherein the gaps take up less than about 5% of the surface area of the electrode, such that adjacent polygonal discrete elements have parallel edges and form a pattern comprising a honeycomb array of elements;
- and
- (c) sintering the electrode layer.
A solid oxide fuel cell comprising an electrode layer applied to an electrolyte layer wherein the electrode layer is discontinuous and comprises a plurality of substantially discrete polygonal elements that are hexagonal in shape separated by substantially uniform gaps, wherein the gaps take up less than about 5% of the surface area of the electrode, and wherein adjacent polygonal elements have parallel edges.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.