Tube type fuel cell to decrease current path length

• US 7,972,742 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2006
• Issued: 07/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Nariyoshi, Takahashi, Shin, Gunji, Akira, Tokoi, Hiromi
• Primary Examiner(s): Yuan; Dah-Wei D
• Assistant Examiner(s): BEST, ZACHARY P
• Application Number:
  US11/505,302
• Publication Number:
  US 20070048578A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,783 Days
• Field of Search: 429/31, 429/32, 429/34, 429/466, 429/468, 429/517
• US Class Current: 429/468
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/004 Cylindrical, tubular or wound
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0232 Metals or alloys
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0271 Sealing or supporting means around electrodes, matrices or membranes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/243 Grouping of unit cells of tubular or cylindrical configuration
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

It is an object to shorten current path between an anode and a cathode in a tube type SOFC and thereby to decrease resistance. The tube type fuel cell contains a tube type electrolyte placed between an anode and a cathode, wherein an auxiliary electrode is provided over the entire region of a cell reaction region on at least one of the anode and cathode. The current path is shortened and resistance is decreased, because the anode auxiliary electrode or cathode auxiliary electrode is provided over the entire peripheral surface of the anode or cathode, and the current path in the auxiliary electrode has a greatly increased cross-sectional area.

Claims

1. A tube type fuel cell comprising a plurality of tube type fuel cells, each tube type fuel cell comprising:

an anode;

a cathode;

a tube type electrolyte placed between the anode and the cathode;

an interconnector for drawing current from the cathode or the anode positioned on an inner side of the tube type electrolyte, wherein each of the plurality of tube type cells is electrically connected in series with each other via the interconnector;

an auxiliary electrode provided over the entire region of a cell reaction region on the cathode or the anode positioned on an outer side of the electrolyte of the tube type cell; and

an electrically insulating means provided between the adjacent auxiliary electrodes of the tube type cells electrically connected in series with each other via the interconnector.

2. The tube type fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary electrode is made of an electroconductive porous material having through-holes for passing a gas.

6. The tube type fuel cell according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the auxiliary electrode provided to cover the cell reaction region on at least one of the anode and the cathode is made of a nickel-containing porous material.

9. A fuel cell assembly structure comprising the plurality of the tube type fuel cells according to claim 1, connected to each other in series or in parallel.

10. A fuel cell assembly structure comprising the plurality of the tube type fuel cells according to claim 1, connected to each other in series, or in parallel, or in zigzags.

3. A tube type fuel cell comprising a plurality of tube type fuel cells, each tube type fuel cell comprising:

an anode;

a cathode;

a tube type electrolyte placed between the anode and the cathode;

a fuel region around the anode to pass a fuel;

an oxidation region around the cathode to pass an oxidant;

an interconnector for drawing current from the cathode or the anode positioned on an inner side of the tube type electrolyte, wherein each of the plurality of tube type cells is electrically connected in series with each other via the interconnector;

an auxiliary electrode provided over the entire region of a cell reaction region on the cathode or the anode positioned on an outer side of the electrolyte of the tube type cell;

wherein the fuel region or the oxidation region is provided adjacently to the auxiliary electrode; and

an electrically insulating means provided between the adjacent auxiliary electrodes of the tube type cells electrically connected in series with each other via the interconnector.

4. A tube type fuel cell comprising a plurality of tube type fuel cells, each tube type fuel cell comprising:

an anode;

a cathode;

a tube type electrolyte placed between the anode and the cathode;

a fuel region around the anode to pass a fuel;

an oxidation region around the cathode to pass an oxidant;

an interconnector for drawing current from the cathode or the anode positioned on an inner side of the tube type electrolyte, wherein each of the plurality of tube type cells is electrically connected in series with each other via the interconnector;

an auxiliary electrode provided over the entire region of a cell reaction region on the cathode or the anode positioned on an outer side of the electrolyte of the tube type cell and filling the fuel region or the oxidation region;

an electrically insulating means provided between the adjacent auxiliary electrodes of the tube type cells electrically connected in series with each other via the interconnector.

5. A tube type fuel cell comprising a plurality of tube type fuel cells, each tube type fuel cell comprising:

an anode;

a cathode;

a tube type electrolyte placed between the anode and the cathode;

an interconnector for drawing current from the cathode or the anode positioned on an inner side of the tube type electrolyte, wherein each of the plurality of tube type cells is electrically connected in series with each other via the interconnector;

an anode auxiliary electrode and a cathode auxiliary electrode provided over a cell reaction region on each of the anode and the cathode respectively, so that at least one of the auxiliary electrodes being provided over the entire region of the cell reaction region; and

an electrically insulating means provided between the anode auxiliary electrode and the cathode auxiliary electrode to prevent electrical contact between them;

wherein each of the plurality of tube type cells are electrically connected with each other in series via the interconnector.

7. The tube type fuel cell according to claim 5, wherein the electrically insulating means provided between the anode auxiliary electrode and the cathode auxiliary electrode is an electrically insulating sheet.

8. The tube type fuel cell according to claim 5 or 7, wherein an alumina-containing ceramic is used as a material of the electrically insulating means.