Electrolyte materials for solid oxide electrolyzer cells

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12136754-B2
Application number	US-202117318527-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 12, 2021
Priority date	May 14, 2020
Publication date	Nov 5, 2024
Grant date	Nov 5, 2024

Abstract

A solid oxide electrolyzer electrolyte composition includes a scandia and ceria stabilized zirconia, containing 5 to 12 mol % scandia, 1 to 7 mol % ceria, and 80 to 94 mol % zirconia, or a yttria and ceria stabilized zirconia containing 3 to 10 mol % yttria, 1 to 6 mol % ceria, and 84 to 96 mol % zirconia.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A solid oxide electrolyzer electrolyte composition consisting essentially of a scandia and ceria stabilized zirconia, the composition consisting essentially of
5 to 12 mol % scandia;
2 to 7 mol % ceria; and
81 to 93 mol % zirconia.

2. The electrolyte composition of claim 1 , consisting essentially of:
5 to 10 mol % scandia;
2 to 5 mol % ceria; and
85 to 93 mol % zirconia,
wherein the composition excludes yttria and ytterbia.

3. A solid oxide electrolyzer cell (SOEC) stack comprising:
two or more solid oxide electrolyzer cells, each solid oxide electrolyzer cell comprising:
an air electrode;
a fuel electrode; and
an electrolyte having the composition of claim 1 , and

at least one interconnect having a first side and second side, wherein the first side of the interconnect is electrically connected an air electrode of a first solid oxide electrolyzer cell in the stack and the second side of the interconnect is electrically connected to the fuel electrode of a second solid oxide electrolyzer cell in the stack.

4. The solid oxide electrolyzer cell (SOEC) stack of claim 3 , wherein the air electrode of each solid oxide electrolyzer cell comprises an electrically conductive material and an electrically insulating ceramic material.

5. The solid oxide electrolyzer cell (SOEC) stack of claim 4 , wherein the electrically conductive material of the air electrode comprises lanthanum strontium manganate.

6. The solid oxide electrolyzer cell (SOEC) stack of claim 4 , wherein the electrically insulating ceramic material of the air electrode comprises at least one of scandia stabilized zirconia, yttria stabilized zirconia, or ytterbia stabilized zirconia.

7. The solid oxide electrolyzer cell (SOEC) stack of claim 3 , wherein the stack includes internal fuel riser channels.

8. The solid oxide electrolyzer cell (SOEC) stack of claim 3 , wherein the at least one interconnect includes ribs that partially define air channels on the first side and includes ribs that partially define fuel channels on the second side.

9. The solid oxide electrolyzer cell (SOEC) stack of claim 3 , wherein the stack is connected to a power source to provide electrical power to the stack.

10. A solid oxide electrolyzer cell (SOEC) stack comprising:
two or more solid oxide electrolyzer cells comprising:
an air electrode;
a fuel electrode; and
an electrolyte having the composition of claim 2 , and

at least one interconnect having a first side and second side, wherein the first side of the interconnect is electrically connected an air electrode of a first solid oxide electrolyzer cell in the stack and the second side of the interconnect is electrically connected to the fuel electrode of a second solid oxide electrolyzer cell in the stack.

11. The solid oxide electrolyzer cell (SOEC) stack of claim 10 , wherein the air electrode of each solid oxide electrolyzer cell comprises an electrically conductive material and an electrically insulating ceramic material.

12. The solid oxide electrolyzer cell (SOEC) stack of claim 11 , wherein the electrically conductive material of the air electrode comprises lanthanum strontium manganate.

13. The solid oxide electrolyzer cell (SOEC) stack of claim 11 , wherein the electrically insulating ceramic material of the air electrode comprises at least one of scandia stabilized zirconia, yttria stabilized zirconia, or ytterbia stabilized zirconia.

14. The solid oxide electrolyzer cell (SOEC) stack of claim 10 , wherein the stack includes internal fuel riser channels.

15. The solid oxide electrolyzer cell (SOEC) stack of claim 10 , wherein the at least one interconnect includes ribs that partially define air channels on the first side and includes ribs that partially define fuel channels on the second side.

16. The solid oxide electrolyzer cell (SOEC) stack of claim 10 , wherein the stack is connected to a power source to provide electrical power to the stack.

Assignees

• Bloom Energy Corp

Inventors

• Armstrong Tad

Classifications

• H01M8/126

  the electrolyte containing cerium oxide · CPC title

• H01M2008/1293

  Fuel cells with solid oxide electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M8/1231

  with both reactants being gaseous or vaporised · CPC title

• C04B2235/3229

  Cerium oxides or oxide-forming salts thereof · CPC title

• C04B2235/3225

  Yttrium oxide or oxide-forming salts thereof · CPC title