Environmentally tolerant anode catalyst for a solid oxide fuel cell

• US 7,255,956 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2003
• Issued: 08/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bloom Energy Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bloom Energy Corporation
• Inventors: Sridhar, K. R., McElroy, James F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alejandro; Raymond
• Assistant Examiner(s): Martin; Angela J.
• Application Number:
  US10/368,348
• Publication Number:
  US 20030165732A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,636 Days
• Field of Search: 429/41, 429/44, 429/33, 429/30, 429/17, 429/19, 429/12
• US Class Current: 429/486
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2008/1293 Fuel cells with solid oxide electrolytes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2250/00 Fuel cells for particular applications; Specific features of fuel cell system
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2250/40 Combination of fuel cells with other energy production systems
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2250/405 Cogeneration of heat or hot water
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2300/0074 Ion conductive at high temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0247 characterised by the form characterised by a channel configuration H01M8/0258
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/028 Sealing means characterised by their material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04007 related to heat exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04022 Heating by combustion
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04111 using a compressor turbine assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04141 by water containing exhaust gases
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04291 Arrangements for managing water in solid electrolyte fuel cell systems H01M8/04119 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0662 Treatment of gaseous reactants or gaseous residues, e.g. cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 90/10 Applications of fuel cells in buildings
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 429/901 Fuel cell including means for utilization of heat for unrelated application, e.g. heating a building

Abstract

A solid oxide fuel cell includes a cathode, a solid ceramic electrolyte, and an anode comprising a cermet containing an environment tolerant catalyst, such as a fuel starvation and/or a sulfur tolerant catalyst.

Claims

1. A solid oxide fuel cell, comprising:

a cathode;

a solid ceramic electrolyte comprising a stabilized zirconia layer and a samaria doped ceria layer; and

a fuel starvation tolerant anode comprising a cermet consisting essentially of Ni, a stabilized zirconia and a catalyst material which excludes Ru.

2. The fuel cell of claim 1, wherein the fuel starvation tolerant anode comprises a catalyst material selected from at least one of Pt, Pd, and Rh, and the stabilized zirconia comprises YSZ.

3. The fuel cell of claim 1, wherein the anode cermet excludes Ru.

4. The fuel cell of claim 1, wherein the electrolyte comprises the samaria doped ceria layer located between two stabilized zirconia layers.

5. The fuel cell of claim 1, wherein the samaria doped ceria layer is located between the anode and the stabilized zirconia layer.

6. The fuel cell of claim 1, wherein the stabilized zirconia layer comprises a YSZ layer.

7. The fuel cell of claim 1, wherein the electrolyte comprises a planar electrolyte.

8. The fuel cell of claim 1, wherein the electrolyte supports the anode and the cathode.

9. The fuel cell of claim 1, wherein the electrolyte comprises a planar electrolyte and the electrolyte supports the anode and the cathode.