Method for production of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC)

• US 8,574,791 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2011
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Maus, Harald, Glanz, Uwe, Oehler, Gudrun, Schwegler, Leonore, Hagemann, Benjamin, Bluthard, Alexander, Hirth, Erhard, Satet, Raphaelle
• Primary Examiner(s): Kalafut, Stephen J.
• Application Number:
  US13/009,347
• Publication Number:
  US 20110177434A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,021 Days
• Field of Search: 429/497, 429/535, 264/262, 264/279
• US Class Current: 429/535
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 1/24 by injection moulding injection moulding of ceramic slips B28B1/265; of tubular articles B28B21/38
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 7/342 which are at least partially destroyed, e.g. broken, molten, before demoulding; Moulding surfaces or spaces shaped by, or in, the ground, or sand or soil, whether bound or not; Cores consisting at least mainly of sand or soil, whether bound or not
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2008/1293 Fuel cells with solid oxide electrolytes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/004 Cylindrical, tubular or wound
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1213 characterised by the electrode/electrolyte combination or the supporting material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/124 characterised by the process of manufacturing or by the material of the electrolyte
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

A method for production of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) (1), having an electrolyte body (10) with a tubular structure, wherein at least one internal electrode (11) and one external electrode (12) are applied to the tubular electrolyte body, with the method having at least the following steps: provision of an injection molding core (13) on which at least one interconnector material (14) and the internal electrode (11) are mounted, arrangement of the injection molding core (13) in an injection mold (25a, 25b), injection molding of an electrolyte compound (10a) in order to form the electrolyte body (10), and removal of the injection molding core (13) in the form of a casting process with a lost core.

Claims

1. A method for production of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) (1), having an electrolyte body (10) with a tubular structure, wherein at least one internal electrode (11) and one external electrode (12) are applied to the tubular electrolyte body, the method comprising:

providing an injection molding core (13) on which at least one interconnector material (14) and the internal electrode (11) are mounted;

arranging the injection molding core (13) in an injection mold (25a, 25b);

injection molding an electrolyte compound (10a) in order to form the electrolyte body (10); and

removing the injection molding core (13) in the form of a lost core technique.

2. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the injection molding core (13) is removed by means of a thermal process.

3. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the injection molding core (13) is formed of a plastic material.

4. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the injection molding core (13) is formed with a conical external contour, such that a first end (15) with a large diameter and a second end (16) with a small diameter of the injection molding core (13) are formed, wherein the second end (16) with the small diameter forms the holding end of the tubular electrolyte body (10) on a base body (17).

5. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the interconnector material (14) and/or the internal electrode (11) are/is applied to the injection molding core (13) by means of a printing process.

6. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the interconnector material (14) and/or the internal electrode (11) are/is applied to a carrier film (20), which is arranged on the injection molding core (13) before the injection molding of the electrolyte compound (10a), such that the electrolyte compound (10a) is connected to the internal electrode (11) on the carrier film (20) when the electrolyte compound (10a) is injection molded.

7. A method according to claim 6, characterized in that the interconnector material (14) is applied to the carrier film (20) in layers (21), and the internal electrode (11) is then applied.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the layers (21) of the interconnector material (14) extend to a different width over the length of the injection molding core (13) in the longitudinal direction, and form free areas (22).

9. A method according to claim 8, characterized in that the free areas (22) are filled with filling layers (23).

10. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the injection molding core (13) has grooves (18) into which the interconnector material (14) is introduced, in order to form an interconnector layer (14) which has a structure.

11. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the interconnector material (14) is applied with a small thickness in the area of the first end (15) and with a large thickness in the area of the second end (15), such that the interconnector material (14) has a conical internal shape.

12. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that, after the electrolyte body (10) together with the internal electrode (11) and the interconnector material (14) have been removed from the mold, the external electrode (12) is fitted to the tubular electrolyte body.

13. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the injection molding core (13) is formed of a plastic material, wherein the thermal process for removal of the injection molding core (13) is carried out by burning out the plastic material.

14. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the interconnector material (14) and/or the internal electrode (11) are/is applied to the injection molding core (13) by means of a web-fed printing process or a screen printing process.

15. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the injection molding core (13) has grooves (18) into which the interconnector material (14) is introduced, in order to form an interconnector layer (14) which has a web structure (19) or a grid structure.

16. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the interconnector material (14) is applied with a small thickness in the area of the first end (15) and with a large thickness in the area of the second end (15), such that the interconnector material (14) has a conical internal shape, and compensates for the conical shape of the injection molding core (13), such that the interconnector material (14) has an approximately cylindrical external shape.

17. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that, after the electrolyte body (10) together with the internal electrode (11) and the interconnector material (14) have been removed from the mold, the external electrode (12) is fitted and is subsequently burnt in.

18. A method according to claim 8, characterized in that the free areas (22) are filled with glassy carbon layers (23).