Electrochemical device configurations

• US 7,943,270 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2007
• Issued: 05/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sofc Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: CellTech Power LLC
• Inventors: Blake, Adam P., Tao, Tao T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gilliam; Barbara L
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROE, CLAIRE LOUISE
• Application Number:
  US11/800,050
• Publication Number:
  US 20080182147A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,476 Days
• Field of Search: 429/452, 429/545, 429/456, 429/459, 429/462, 429/464, 429/466, 429/472, 429/478, 429/498, 429507-508, 429512-513, 429515-516, 429/523, 429/529, 429/535, 252/182.1, 137/260
• US Class Current: 429/513
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2004/8684 Negative electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/9033 Complex oxides, optionally doped, of the type M1MeO3, M1 being an alkaline earth metal or a rare earth, Me being a metal, e.g. perovskites
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/9041 Metals or alloys H01M4/92 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/42 Grouping of primary cells into batteries H01M6/40 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0236 Glass; Ceramics; Cermets
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0247 characterised by the form characterised by a channel configuration H01M8/0258
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0252 tubular
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0271 Sealing or supporting means around electrodes, matrices or membranes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0289 Means for holding the electrolyte solid polymer electrolytes H01M8/1018
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/04089 of gaseous reactants
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/22 Fuel cells in which the fuel is based on materials comprising carbon or oxygen or hydrogen and other elements; Fuel cells in which the fuel is based on materials comprising only elements other than carbon, oxygen or hydrogen
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/2484 characterised by external manifolds
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

The present invention generally relates to electrochemical devices such as fuel cells and, in particular, to various component configurations including configurations for converting common fuels directly into electricity without additional fuel reforming or processing. Certain aspects of the invention are generally directed to configurations in which an anode of the device surrounds the electrolyte and/or the cathode of the device. In some embodiments, all single cells in a fuel cell stack share a common anode fuel chamber. The anode, in some cases, may be exposed to a fuel. In one set of embodiments, the anode of the device may be fluid during operation of the fuel cell, and in some cases, a porous container may be used to contain the anode during operation of the fuel cell. Other aspects of the invention relate to methods of making such devices, methods of promoting the making or use of such devices, and the like.

Claims

1. A fuel cell, comprising:

an anode, a portion of which is fluid during operation of the fuel cell;

a porous container able to contain the anode during operation of the fuel cell;

an electrolyte at least partially contained within the anode; and

a cathode at least partially contained within the electrolyte;

wherein the porous container is permeable to fuel and impermeable to the anode when the anode is fluid.

2. The fuel cell of claim 1, the fuel cell comprising a plurality of anodes, each anode contained within a common anode chamber.

3. The fuel cell of claim 1, wherein the anode comprises a metal.

4. The fuel cell of claim 1, wherein the anode comprises tin.

5. The fuel cell of claim 1, wherein the anode consists essentially of tin.

6. The fuel cell of claim 1, wherein the porous container has an air permissivity of at least about 0.1 cm³/min cm/psi.

7. The fuel cell of claim 1, wherein the porous container has a porosity of at least about 50%.

8. The fuel cell of claim 7, wherein the porous container has a porosity of at least about 70%.

9. The fuel cell of claim 8, wherein the porous container has a porosity of at least about 75%.

10. The fuel cell of claim 1, wherein the porous container has an average pore size of no more than about 300 micrometers.

11. The fuel cell of claim 10, wherein the porous container has an average pore size of between about 50 micrometers and about 200 micrometers.

12. The fuel cell of claim 10, wherein the porous container has an average pore size of no more than about 100 micrometers.

13. The fuel cell of claim 11, wherein the porous container has an average pore size of between about 100 micrometers and about 200 micrometers.

14. The fuel cell of claim 1, wherein the porous container is cylindrical.

15. The fuel cell of claim 1, wherein the porous container comprises a ceramic.

16. The fuel cell of claim 1, wherein the porous container consists essentially of a ceramic.

17. The fuel cell of claim 1, wherein the porous container comprises Al₂O₃.

18. The fuel cell of claim 1, wherein the porous container comprises ZrO₂.

19. The fuel cell of claim 1, wherein the porous container comprises alumina silicate.

20. The fuel cell of claim 1, wherein the porous container physically separates a fuel from the anode when the anode is fluid.

21. The fuel cell of claim 1, wherein the electrolyte comprises a ceramic.

22. The fuel cell of claim 1, wherein the electrolyte is ionically conductive.

23. The fuel cell of claim 1, wherein the electrolyte transports O²⁻

.

24. The fuel cell of claim 1, wherein the electrolyte comprises a yttria-stabilized zirconia.

25. The fuel cell of claim 1, wherein the cathode contains therein a channel able to transport a gas.

26. The fuel cell of claim 1, wherein the cathode is positioned substantially in the center of the electrolyte.

27. The fuel cell of claim 1, wherein the geometrical center of the electrolyte is contained within the cathode.

28. The fuel cell of claim 1, wherein the cathode comprises a ceramic.

29. The fuel cell of claim 1, wherein the cathode comprises a lanthanum-strontium-manganese oxide.

30. The fuel cell of claim 1, wherein the fuel cell contains a hydrocarbon fuel.

31. The fuel cell of claim 1, wherein the fuel cell contains an unreformed fuel.

32. A fuel cell, comprising:

a tin anode;

a ceramic porous container containing the tin anode;

a ceramic electrolyte at least partially contained within the anode; and

a cathode at least partially contained within the electrolyte,

wherein the tin is liquid during operation of the fuel cell;

wherein the porous container is permeable to fuel and impermeable to the anode when the anode is fluid.

35. The fuel cell of claim 32, wherein the porous container has an air permissivity of at least about 0.1 cm³/min cm/psi.

36. The fuel cell of claim 32, wherein the porous container has a porosity of at least about 50%.

37. The fuel cell of claim 32, wherein the porous container has an average pore size of no more than about 300 micrometers.

38. The fuel cell of claim 32, wherein the cathode comprises a ceramic.

33. An electrochemical device, comprising:

a plurality of fuel cells, each fuel cell comprising an anode, a portion of which is fluid during operation of the fuel cell, and a porous container able to contain the anode during operation of the fuel cell;

wherein the porous container is permeable to fuel and impermeable to the anode when the anode is fluid; and

a housing containing the plurality of fuel cells, the housing connectable to a source of fuel.

34. The device of claim 33, wherein each fuel cell further comprises an electrolyte contained within the anode, and a cathode contained within the electrolyte.

39. The device of claim 33, wherein the anode comprises tin.

40. The device of claim 33, wherein the anode consists essentially of tin.

41. The device of claim 33, wherein the porous container has an air permissivity of at least about 0.1 cm³/min cm/psi.

42. The device of claim 33, wherein the porous container has a porosity of at least about 50%.

43. The device of claim 33, wherein the porous container has an average pore size of no more than about 300 micrometers.

44. The device of claim 33, wherein the porous container comprises a ceramic.

45. The device of claim 34, wherein the electrolyte comprises a ceramic.

46. The device of claim 34, wherein the cathode comprises a ceramic.