Nanotubular solid oxide fuel cell
First Claim
1. A membrane electrode assembly for a solid oxide fuel cell, the assembly comprising:
- a fuel permeable, non-porous, solid, thin film anode;
an oxidant permeable, non-porous, solid, thin film cathode;
a thin film solid oxide electrolyte;
wherein the electrolyte is sandwiched between the anode and the cathode to form a layered composite;
wherein the layered composite has an anode surface facing away from an anode-electrolyte interface and has a cathode surface facing away from a cathode-electrolyte interface and wherein a distance between the anode surface and the cathode surface is substantially uniform within the membrane electrode assembly;
wherein the layered composite is disposed in a three-dimensional pattern having features, and wherein the features include a plurality of discrete closed-end tubes extending inward from at least one of the anode surface and the cathode surface.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A membrane electrode assembly (MEA) having a nano-tubular patterned structure and having solid (instead of porous) electrode layers is provided. Increased mechanical strength is provided by the use of solid electrode layers. The electrode layers are sufficiently thin to permit the flow of reactants to the electrolyte. The nano-tubular pattern includes multiple closed-end tubes and increase the reaction area to volume ratio of the MEA. The nano-tubular pattern also serves to increase mechanical strength, especially in a preferred honey-comb like arrangement of the closed-end tubes. A catalyst is preferably disposed on the anode and cathode surfaces of the MEA, and is preferably in the form of separated catalyst islands in order to increase reaction area. MEAs according to the invention can be fabricated by layer deposition on a patterned template. Atomic layer deposition is a preferred deposition technique.
67 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A membrane electrode assembly for a solid oxide fuel cell, the assembly comprising:
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a fuel permeable, non-porous, solid, thin film anode;
an oxidant permeable, non-porous, solid, thin film cathode;
a thin film solid oxide electrolyte;
wherein the electrolyte is sandwiched between the anode and the cathode to form a layered composite;
wherein the layered composite has an anode surface facing away from an anode-electrolyte interface and has a cathode surface facing away from a cathode-electrolyte interface and wherein a distance between the anode surface and the cathode surface is substantially uniform within the membrane electrode assembly;
wherein the layered composite is disposed in a three-dimensional pattern having features, and wherein the features include a plurality of discrete closed-end tubes extending inward from at least one of the anode surface and the cathode surface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method of fabricating a membrane electrode assembly for a fuel cell, the method comprising:
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first depositing a non-porous, solid, thin film first electrode layer;
electrolyte depositing a thin film solid oxide electrolyte layer on the first electrode layer;
second depositing a non-porous, solid, thin film second electrode layer on the electrolyte later;
wherein one of the first and second electrode layers is an anode having an anode surface facing away from an anode-electrolyte interface and the other of the first and second electrode layers is a cathode having a cathode surface facing away from a cathode-electrolyte interface;
wherein a distance between the anode surface and the cathode surface is substantially uniform within the membrane electrode assembly;
wherein the anode is fuel permeable and the cathode is oxidant permeable;
wherein the first electrode layer is disposed in a three-dimensional pattern having features, and wherein the features include a plurality of discrete closed-end tubes extending inward from the anode surface or the cathode surface. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification