Apparatus and method for plasticizing solid oxide fuel cell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11946695-B2
Application number	US-201916978543-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 20, 2019
Priority date	Aug 22, 2018
Publication date	Apr 2, 2024
Grant date	Apr 2, 2024

Abstract

An apparatus and a method of firing a unit cell for a solid oxide fuel cell performs pre-sintering and main sintering using a single apparatus by adjusting a height of a setter to apply pressure. The pressure prevents warping.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for firing a unit cell for a solid oxide fuel cell, the apparatus comprising:
a plurality of setters configured to support stacks, each setter having opposed surfaces; and
a pair of supports coupled to the plurality of setters and configured to support the plurality of setters,
wherein the opposed surfaces of at least one of the plurality of setters are made of different materials, and
wherein a height of the plurality of setters is adjustable along the pair of supports.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the opposed surfaces of a lowermost setter of the plurality of setters are made of a same material.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a first surface of the at least one of the plurality of setters is made of a material non-reactive to an electrolyte, and a second surface of the at least one of the plurality of setters is made of a material non-reactive to an anode.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the stacks includes an anode and an electrolyte.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a first surface of the at least one of the plurality of setters includes a dense ceramic material, and a second surface of the at least one of the plurality of setters includes a porous ceramic material.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the dense ceramic material includes an alumina ceramic material, and the porous ceramic material includes one or more of porous alumina ceramic and silicon carbide (SiC) ceramic.

7. A method of firing a unit cell for a solid oxide fuel cell, the method comprising:
disposing stacks on the plurality of setters coupled to the pair of supports of the apparatus for firing a unit cell for a solid oxide fuel cell according to claim 1 ;
adjusting heights of the plurality of setters so that the plurality of setters are spaced apart from the stacks, and then primarily firing the stacks; and
adjusting the heights of the plurality of setters to a height equal to or smaller than a height of the stacks, and then secondarily firing the stacks.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein in the primarily firing of the stacks, the stack is warped toward an upper surface thereof.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein in the secondarily firing of the stacks, the plurality of setters press the stacks such that the stack is flat.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein in the secondarily firing of the stacks, the plurality of setters are not fixed to the pair of supports.

Assignees

• Lg Chemical Ltd

Inventors

• Park Curie
• Park Eun Yong
• Shin Dong Oh
• Choi Kwangwook

Classifications

• F27B21/00 Primary

  Open or uncovered sintering apparatus; Other heat-treatment apparatus of like construction · CPC title

• H01M4/8889 Primary

  Cosintering or cofiring of a catalytic active layer with another type of layer · CPC title

• H01M8/1246

  the electrolyte consisting of oxides · CPC title

• F27D5/0012

  Modules of the sagger or setter type; Supports built up from them · CPC title

• F27D2005/0093

  Means to maintain the form of the article · CPC title