Solid oxide fuel cell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10270118-B2
Application number	US-201515576145-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 25, 2015
Priority date	May 25, 2015
Publication date	Apr 23, 2019
Grant date	Apr 23, 2019

Abstract

A solid oxide fuel cell includes a plate-shaped cell with a structure in which a fuel electrode, a solid electrolyte, and an air electrode are stacked on a metal support, and current collectors which are stacked to sandwich both sides of the cell. The current collectors are in contact with both sides of the cell. The cell includes deformation guides which are easy to deform compared to other part of the cell. When the cell deforms due to thermal expansion, the cell 1 is allowed to easily deform around the deformation guides.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A solid oxide fuel cell comprising:
a plate-shaped cell with a structure in which a fuel electrode, a solid electrolyte, and an air electrode are stacked on a metal support;
a first current collector including a plurality of first contact portions in contact with the plate-shaped cell in a direction perpendicular to a stacking direction of the plate-shaped cell, and
a second current collector located on an opposite side of the plate-shaped cell to the first current collector and which includes a plurality of second contact portions in contact with the plate-shaped cell in the direction perpendicular to the stacking direction of the plate-shaped cell, wherein
the plurality of first contact portions and the plurality of second contact portions all have an overlapping region in the stacking direction of the plate-shaped cell, and
the metal support includes a plurality of deformation guides around which the plate-shaped cell is configured to deform when the plate-shaped cell deforms due to thermal expansion, and
the plurality of deformation guides are disposed in pairs such that a pair of deformation guides sandwiches each of the first contact portions.

2. The solid oxide fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of deformation guides extend linearly.

3. The solid oxide fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein
each of the plurality of deformation guides is disposed at an intermediate position between adjacent two of the first contact portions.

4. The solid oxide fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein
each of the plurality of deformation guides comprises a thin-thickness portion where a thickness of the metal support is thinner than other portions thereof.

5. The solid oxide fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein
the metal support is formed from a porous metal substrate, and
each of the plurality of deformation guides comprises a sparse structure portion in which a porosity of the porous metal substrate is higher than other constituents.

6. The solid oxide fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein
each of the plurality of deformation guides comprises a groove portion provided in a surface of the metal support.

7. The solid oxide fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein
the metal support is formed from a porous metal substrate,
each of the plurality of deformation guides include a sparse structure portion in which a porosity of the porous metal substrate is higher than other constituents, and
the sparse structure portion is arranged between adjacent two of the first contact portions in a surface of the metal support opposite to a surface on which the fuel electrode, the solid electrolyte, and the air electrode are stacked.

8. The solid oxide fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein
each of the plurality of deformation guides comprises a recess formed in a surface of the metal support facing the first current collector and the plurality of first contact portions thereof.

9. The solid oxide fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein
the plurality of first contact portions of the first current collector contact the metal support of the plate-shaped cell, and
the plurality of second contact portions of the second current collector contact the air electrode of the plate-shaped cell.

10. The solid oxide fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein
the plurality of deformation guides are formed in a surface of the metal support that does not contact the fuel electrode, the solid electrolyte, and the air electrode.

11. The solid oxide fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein
the fuel electrode directly contacts a first surface of the metal support, and
the plurality of deformation guides are formed in a second surface of the metal support opposite to the first surface.

12. A solid oxide fuel cell comprising:
a plate-shaped cell with a structure in which a fuel electrode, a solid electrolyte, and an air electrode are stacked on a metal support;
a first current collector including a plurality of first contact portions in contact with the plate-shaped cell in a direction perpendicular to a stacking direction of the plate-shaped cell, and
a second current collector located on an opposite side of the plate-shaped cell to the first current collector and which includes a plurality of second contact portions in contact with the plate-shaped cell in the direction perpendicular to the stacking direction of the plate-shaped cell, wherein
the metal support includes a plurality of deformation guides around which the plate-shaped cell is configured to deform when the plate-shaped cell deforms due to thermal expansion, and
the plurality of deformation guides are disposed in pairs such that a pair of deformation guides sandwiches each of the first contact portions.

Assignees

• Nissan Motor

Inventors

• Yajima Kentarou
• Izumi Takao

Classifications

• H01M8/1213

  characterised by the electrode/electrolyte combination or the supporting material · CPC title

• H01M8/2425

  High-temperature cells with solid electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M8/0297 Primary

  Arrangements for joining electrodes, reservoir layers, heat exchange units or bipolar separators to each other (H01M8/0271 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M2008/1293

  Fuel cells with solid oxide electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M8/2432 Primary

  Grouping of unit cells of planar configuration · CPC title