Electrochemical element, electrochemical element stack, electrochemical module, electrochemical device, and energy system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11967740-B2
Application number	US-202017599469-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 27, 2020
Priority date	Mar 29, 2019
Publication date	Apr 23, 2024
Grant date	Apr 23, 2024

Abstract

An electrochemical element including a plate-like support provided with an internal passage therein. The plate-like support includes a gas-permeable portion through which gas is permeable between the internal passage and the outside of the plate-like support and an electrochemical reaction portion that is formed by stacking at least a film-like electrode layer, a film-like electrolyte layer, and a film-like counter electrode layer in the stated order in a predetermined stacking direction on an outer face of the plate-like support so as to entirely or partially cover the gas-permeable portion. A first gas, that is one of reducing component gas and oxidative component gas, flows through the internal passage, and the internal passage is provided with a turbulence forming body that forms a turbulence state of the first gas.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electrochemical element comprising:
a plate-like support provided with an internal passage therein,
wherein the plate-like support comprises:
a first plate-like body;
a second plate-like body;
a gas-permeable portion through which gas is permeable between the internal passage and an outside of the plate-like support; and
an electrochemical reaction portion that is formed by stacking at least a film-like electrode layer, a film-like electrolyte layer, and a film-like counter electrode layer in the stated order in a predetermined stacking direction on an outer face of the plate-like support so as to entirely or partially cover the gas-permeable portion,

the gas-permeable portion is formed in the first plate-like body,
the electrochemical reaction portion is formed on a first outer face of the first plate-like body,
the internal passage is formed between respective faces of the first plate-like body and the second plate-like body that are opposed to each other,
a first gas, that is one of a reducing component gas and an oxidative component gas, flows through the internal passage, and the internal passage is provided with a turbulence forming body that forms a turbulence state of the first gas,
the internal passage comprises a plurality of auxiliary passages that extend in a first direction along a planar surface of the plate-like support, that are spaced apart from each other in a second direction along the planar surface and intersecting the first direction, and that allow gas to flow in the first direction, and
the turbulence forming body comprises a turbulence forming portion that is arranged in at least one auxiliary passage of the plurality of auxiliary passages, that forms the turbulence state of the first gas, and is a net-like body having a plate-like shape and provided adjacently to a portion of a second outer face of the first plate-like body on which portion the gas-permeable portion is formed.

2. The electrochemical element according to claim 1 , wherein the plate-like support is formed using a conductive material.

3. The electrochemical element according to claim 1 , wherein the plate-like support is formed using a metal material.

4. The electrochemical element according to claim 1 , wherein the turbulence forming body is formed using a conductive material.

5. The electrochemical element according to claim 1 , wherein the turbulence forming body is formed using a metal material.

6. An electrochemical module comprising:
an electrochemical element stack in which a plurality of the electrochemical elements according to claim 1 are stacked in a predetermined stacking direction; and
a clamp comprising a first clamping portion for pressing a first flat face in the stacking direction of the electrochemical element stack and a second clamping portion for pressing a second flat face on a side opposite to the first flat face.

7. The electrochemical module according to claim 6 , wherein, in the electrochemical element stack, the plurality of electrochemical elements are stacked in the stacking direction via an annular sealing portion through which the first gas flows.

8. The electrochemical module according to claim 7 ,
wherein the first gas is introduced into the internal passage of the plate-like support via the annular sealing portion, and
a flowing portion through which a second gas flows is formed between electrochemical elements that are adjacent to each other in the stacking direction, wherein the second gas is the other of the reducing component gas and the oxidative component gas.

9. The electrochemical module according to claim 7 ,
wherein a first electrochemical element and a second electrochemical element of the plurality of electrochemical elements are adjacently stacked,
wherein the first gas is introduced into the internal passage of the plate-like support via the annular sealing portion, and
wherein the plate-like support included in the first electrochemical element and the plate-like support included in the second electrochemical element are opposed to each other, an outer face of the plate-like support included in the first electrochemical element on which the electrochemical reaction portion is arranged is electrically connected to an outer face of the plate-like support included in the second electrochemical element that is different from an outer face on which the electrochemical reaction portion is arranged, and a flowing portion through which a second gas flows is formed between the two adjacent outer faces along the two outer faces, wherein the second gas is the other of the reducing component gas and the oxidative component gas.

10. The electrochemical module according to claim 9 ,
wherein the plate-like support of each electrochemical element comprises a first penetrated portion that forms a supply passage through which the first gas flows, and
wherein the first penetrated portion of each electrochemical element is in communication with an annular hole of an annular sealing portion that is interposed between adjacent electrochemical elements.

11. The electrochemical module according to claim 10 , further comprising, in the flowing portion, a first annular sealing portion serving as the annular sealing portion for separating the first penetrated portion formed in each of the two outer faces from the flowing portion, and wherein the supply passage for supplying the first gas to the internal passage is formed by the first penetrated portion and the first annular sealing portion.

12. The electrochemical module according to claim 10 ,
wherein the plate-like support comprises a second penetrated portion that forms a discharge passage through which the first gas that has passed through the internal passage flows to the outside of the plate-like support in a surface penetration direction,
wherein the electrochemical module further comprises, in the flowing portion, a second annular sealing portion serving as the annular sealing portion for separating the second penetrated portion formed in each of the two outer faces from the flowing portion, and
wherein the discharge passage through which the first gas that has passed through the internal passage flows is formed by the second penetrated portion and the second annular sealing portion.

13. An electrochemical device comprising:
the electrochemical element according to claim 1 ; and
a fuel converter that supplies gas containing a reducing component to the electrochemical element, or a fuel converter that converts gas containing a reducing component generated in the electrochemical element.

14. An electrochemical device comprising:
the electrochemical element according to claim 1 ; and
a power converter that extracts power from the electrochemical element or supplies power to the electrochemical element.

15. An energy system comprising:
the electrochemical device according to claim 13 ; and
a waste heat utilization system that reuses heat discharged from the electrochemical device or a fuel converter.

16. An electrochemical device comprising:
the electrochemical module according to claim 6 ; and
a fuel converter that supplies gas containing a reducing component to the electrochemical module, or a fuel converter that converts gas containing a reducing component generated in the electrochemical module.

17. An electrochemical device comprising:
the electrochemical module according to claim 6 ; and
a power converter that extracts power from the electrochemical module or supplies power to the electrochemical module.

Assignees

• Osaka Gas Co Ltd

Inventors

• Echigo Mitsuaki
• Ohnishi Hisao
• Shinke Norihisa
• Sogi Tadayuki
• Minami Kazuyuki

Classifications

• H01M8/0258 Primary

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

• H01M8/04022

  Heating by combustion · CPC title

• H01M8/0618

  Reforming processes, e.g. autothermal, partial oxidation or steam reforming · CPC title

• H01M8/1213

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

• H01M8/2432 Primary

  Grouping of unit cells of planar configuration · CPC title