Elementary unit for reactor performing water electrolysis or co-electrolysis (SOEC) or fuel cell (SOFC) operating under pressure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10494729-B2
Application number	US-201515536383-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2015
Priority date	Dec 18, 2014
Publication date	Dec 3, 2019
Grant date	Dec 3, 2019

Abstract

A module for an HTE reactor or an SOFC fuel cell, the module including a circuit for the circulation of a gas, in addition to the reactive gases required for the electrolysis reaction or the reverse reaction in an SOFC cell, the circuit enabling, during the operation under pressure, the additional gas to equalise, on one side of the glass- and/or vitroceramic-based seals, the pressure of the reactive gases generated on the other side.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A module that is intended to form an elementary unit of an electrolysis or co-electrolysis reactor of the SOEC type, comprising:
a unit electrochemical cell (C 1 ) formed from a cathode, an anode, and an electrolyte inserted between the cathode and the anode,
a first device and a second device, each forming an electrical and fluidic interconnector, each consisting of a component made of electron-conducting material and impervious to gases; the first and second interconnectors being arranged on either side of the elementary unit; the first interconnector having a steam supply line passing through it, opening onto the cell on the cathode side, and a line for recovery of the hydrogen produced, opening on the periphery of the cell on the cathode side so as to provide uniform distribution of the steam supplied and of the hydrogen produced, respectively, from the steam supply line to the recovery line; the second interconnector having a recovery line for the oxygen produced passing through it, opening on the periphery of the cell on the anode side so as to provide uniform distribution of the oxygen produced to the recovery line;
a first seal arranged at the periphery of the elementary unit and resting both against the first interconnector and against the second interconnector;
a second seal arranged at the periphery of the anode of the elementary unit and resting both against the second interconnector and against the electrolyte; the first and second seals being based on glass and/or glass-ceramic;
an insulating and sealing device consisting of an electrically insulating washer clamped by a third seal and a fourth seal that are not in contact with one another, the third and fourth seals being made of metal, the insulating and sealing device being arranged at the periphery of the first seal with the third and fourth seals resting against the first interconnector and against the second interconnector, respectively; and
the module in which the first and/or second interconnectors has (have) the steam supply line and at least one recovery line for a gas, called equalization gas, passing through it (them), each opening into an annular space delimited between the first seal and the insulating and sealing device so as to provide uniform distribution of the equalization gas from its supply line to its recovery line, in order to equalize the pressures on either side of the first seal while the reactor is operating under pressure.

2. The module as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the second interconnector has a supply line for draining gas, passing through it, on the cell on the anode side so as to provide uniform distribution of the draining gas supplied and of the oxygen produced, respectively, from the steam supply line to the recovery line.

3. A module that is intended to form an elementary unit of a fuel cell of the SOFC type, comprising:
a unit electrochemical cell (C 1 ) formed from a cathode, an anode, and an electrolyte inserted between the cathode and the anode,
a first device and a second device, each forming an electrical and fluidic interconnector, each consisting of a component made of electron-conducting material and impervious to gases; the first and second interconnector being arranged on either side of the elementary unit; the first interconnector having a fuel supply line passing through it, an opening onto the cell on the anode side, and a recovery line for the water produced, at the periphery of the cell on the anode side so as to provide uniform distribution of the fuel supplied and of the water produced, respectively, from the fuel supply line to the recovery line; the second interconnector having an air or oxygen supply line passing through it, an opening onto the cell on the cathode side, and a recovery line for the surplus air or oxygen, an opening on the periphery of the cell on the cathode side so as to provide uniform distribution of the air or oxygen, from the supply line to the recovery line;
a first seal arranged at the periphery of the elementary unit and resting both against the first interconnector and against the second interconnector;
a second seal arranged at the periphery of the cathode of the elementary unit and resting both against the second interconnector and against the electrolyte; the first and second seals being based on glass and/or glass-ceramic;
an insulating and sealing device consisting of an electrically insulating washer clamped by a third seal and a fourth seal that are not in contact with one another, the third and fourth seals being made of metal, the device being arranged at the periphery of the first seal with the third and fourth seals resting against the first interconnector and against the second interconnector, respectively; and
the module in which the first and/or second interconnectors has (have) the fuel supply line and at least one recovery line for a gas, called equalization gas, passing through it (them), opening into an annular space (E) delimited between the first seal and the insulating and sealing device so as to provide uniform distribution of the equalization gas from its supply line to its recovery line, in order to equalize the pressures on either side of the first seal while the cell is operating under pressure.

4. The module as claimed in claim 1 or claim 3 , the first and/or the second interconnector comprising a first groove provided between the first seal and the cell (C 1 ), the supply line of the first interconnector communicating with the first groove so as to provide uniform distribution of the steam supplied and of the hydrogen produced or of the fuel supplied and of the water produced, to the recovery line of the first interconnector.

5. The module as claimed in claim 1 or claim 3 , the second interconnector comprising a second groove provided in a zone delimited by the second seal, the supply line of the second interconnector communicating with the second groove so as to provide uniform distribution of the oxygen produced or of the air supplied, to the recovery line of the second interconnector.

6. The module as claimed in claim 1 or claim 3 , the first and/or the second interconnector comprising a third groove provided at the periphery of the interconnectors and in which the third or the fourth seals and the insulating washer are arranged, the arrangement being such that the insulating washer projects from the third groove.

7. The module as claimed in claim 1 or claim 3 , the unit electrochemical cell (C 1 ), the first interconnector and the second interconnector, the first seal and the second seal as well as the insulating and sealing device ( 8 ) being of axisymmetric shape about a central axis (X), the steam supply line or the fuel supply line for reactive gases (steam or fuel) and a draining gas supply line opening out along the central axis (X).

8. The module as claimed in claim 1 or claim 3 , the sealing device consisting of the insulating washer of square or rectangular cross section and of third and fourth seals comprising, on each of their faces, one or more projections, the apex of the projections being arranged to deform by resting respectively on the insulating washer and on the first or on the second interconnector, in order to establish hermeticity both on the insulating washer and on each interconnector.

9. The module as claimed in claim 1 or claim 3 , the sealing device consisting of an insulating washer based on zirconium oxide (zirconia) and of third and fourth seals based on iron-chromium-aluminum alloy.

10. The module as claimed in claim 1 or claim 3 , the first seal consists of a mica washer having slits, the mica washer being clamped between two glass-ceramic washers each resting on the first

Assignees

• Commissariat Energie Atomique

Inventors

• Planque Michel
• Reytier Magali
• Roux Guilhem

Classifications

• H01M8/04671

  of the individual fuel cell · CPC title

• H01M8/0247

  characterised by the form (characterised by a channel configuration H01M8/0258) · CPC title

• H01M8/021

  Alloys based on iron · CPC title

• C25B15/08 Primary

  Supplying or removing reactants or electrolytes; Regeneration of electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M8/0258

  characterised by the configuration of channels, e.g. by the flow field of the reactant or coolant · CPC title