Electrolyte supported cell designed for longer life and higher power

• US 9,246,184 B1
• Filed: 08/15/2012
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bloom Energy Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bloom Energy Corporation
• Inventors: Batawi, Emad El, Petersen, Eric, Stephenson, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Ryan, Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Anthony, Julian
• Application Number:
  US13/586,552
• Time in Patent Office: 1,259 Days
• Field of Search: 429/488, 429/489, 429/491, 429/495, 429/496, 429/508, 429/512, 429/513
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2008/1293 Fuel cells with solid oxide electrolytes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/006 Flat
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1213 characterised by the electrode/electrolyte combination or the supporting material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1226 characterised by the supporting layer
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1246 the electrolyte consisting of oxides
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1253 the electrolyte containing zirconium oxide
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/126 the electrolyte containing cerium oxide
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1286 Fuel cells applied on a support, e.g. miniature fuel cells deposited on silica supports
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/2425 High-temperature cells with solid electrolytes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/2483 characterised by internal manifolds
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/2484 characterised by external manifolds
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1051 by folding

Abstract

A solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) that includes an anode electrode, a cathode electrode and a solid oxide electrolyte having a fuel inlet riser opening and a fuel outlet riser opening. The electrolyte is located between the anode electrode and the cathode electrode. The SOFC also includes a ceramic support layer on the electrolyte. The ceramic support is layer located around the at least one of a periphery of the electrolyte or at least partially around perimeters of the fuel inlet and fuel outlet riser openings. The ceramic support layer comprises a multi-component material comprising yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) and alpha alumina.

Claims

1. An electrolyte supported solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) comprising:

an anode electrode;

a cathode electrode;

a solid oxide electrolyte comprising a fuel inlet riser opening and a fuel outlet riser opening, the electrolyte located between the anode electrode and the cathode electrode, wherein the electrolyte supports and contacts the anode electrode and the cathode electrode, and the electrolyte has a thickness of 25-175 μ

m; and

a ceramic support layer on the electrolyte, the ceramic support layer located around at least one of a periphery of the electrolyte or at least partially around perimeters of the fuel inlet and fuel outlet riser openings,

wherein the ceramic support layer comprises a multi-component material comprising stabilized zirconia and alumina made from a sintered mixture of separate zirconia and alumina powders or sintered powder particles made of a combination of stabilized zirconia and alumina.

2. The SOFC of claim 1, wherein the stabilized zirconia comprises yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) and the alumina comprises alpha alumina.

3. The SOFC of claim 2, wherein a weight ratio of the YSZ to the alpha alumina is 2-5:

1.

4. The SOFC of claim 2, wherein the electrolyte comprises scandia stabilized zirconia (SSZ) or a combination of SSZ and YSZ, and the ceramic support layer has a higher fracture toughness than the electrolyte.

5. The SOFC of claim 3, wherein the YSZ has less than 5 atomic % yttria.

6. The SOFC of claim 5, wherein the ceramic support layer comprises 3 atomic % yttria stabilized zirconia (3YSZ), and a weight ratio of the YSZ to the alpha alumina is 3:

1.

7. The SOFC of claim 1, wherein the ceramic support layer is located around the periphery of the electrolyte.

8. The SOFC of claim 1, wherein the ceramic support layer is located around the periphery of the electrolyte and at least partially around perimeters of the fuel inlet and fuel outlet riser openings in the electrolyte.

9. The SOFC of claim 1, wherein the ceramic support layer is located at least partially around perimeters of the fuel inlet and fuel outlet riser openings in the electrolyte to form electrolyte reinforcing regions.

10. The SOFC of claim 9, wherein the electrolyte reinforcing regions are located on an anode side of the electrolyte.

11. The SOFC of claim 10, wherein the electrolyte reinforcing regions comprise at least one of a semicircle, horseshoe, crescent, or U shape.

12. The SOFC of claim 1, wherein the ceramic support layer further comprises supporting ribs located under at least one of the anode or the cathode electrode.

13. The SOFC of claim 1, wherein the ceramic support layer is not present under the anode electrode or the cathode electrode.

14. The SOFC of claim 1, wherein the ceramic support layer has a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) that differs by 5% or less from a CTE of the electrolyte, and wherein the ceramic support layer has an average grain size of 5 microns or less.

15. The SOFC of claim 1, wherein the ceramic support layer is located on an anode side of the electrolyte, the cathode side of the electrolyte or both.