Electrolyte supported cell designed for longer life and higher power

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016172702-A1
Application number	US-201514969441-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 15, 2015
Priority date	Nov 13, 2007
Publication date	Jun 16, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) that includes an anode electrode, a cathode electrode and a solid oxide electrolyte having a fuel inlet riser opening and a fuel outlet riser opening. The electrolyte is located between the anode electrode and the cathode electrode. The SOFC also includes a ceramic support layer on the electrolyte. The ceramic support is layer located around the at least one of a periphery of the electrolyte or at least partially around perimeters of the fuel inlet and fuel outlet riser openings. The ceramic support layer comprises a multi-component material comprising yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) and alpha alumina.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of making a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) comprising:
providing a solid oxide electrolyte having a anode electrode on a first side and a cathode electrode on an opposing second side, the solid oxide electrolyte comprising a fuel inlet riser opening and a fuel outlet riser opening; and depositing a ceramic support layer on the electrolyte, the ceramic support layer located around the at least one of a periphery of the electrolyte or at least partially around perimeters of the fuel inlet and fuel outlet riser openings, wherein the ceramic support layer comprises a multi-component material comprising a stabilized zirconia and alumina.

2 . The method claim 1 , wherein the stabilized zirconia comprises yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) and the alumina comprises alpha alumina.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein a weight ratio of the YSZ to the alpha alumina is 2-5:1.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the YSZ has less than 5 atomic % yttria.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the YSZ has less than 3% yttria, a weight ratio of the YSZ to the alpha alumina is 3:1, and the ceramic support layer is located at least partially around perimeters of the fuel inlet and fuel outlet riser openings in the electrolyte to form electrolyte reinforcing regions.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein depositing the ceramic support layer comprises depositing an ink comprising ceramic particles with an average particle size less than 1 micron and an organic binder.

7 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising sintering the ceramic support layer at temperatures above 1150 C to burn out the binder and sinter ceramic particles into a polycrystalline support layer.

8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising hot isostatically or uniaxially pressing the ceramic support layer before, after or during the step of sintering.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the anode electrode and the cathode electrode are deposited before or after the support layer.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the electrodes are fired together or separately from each other.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the electrodes are fired together or separately from the support layer.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the electrolyte comprises an active region and an inactive region; the anode and the cathode contact opposite sides of the electrolyte at least partially on the active region of the electrolyte; the ceramic support layer is located on the inactive region of the electrolyte; and a combined thickness of the electrolyte and the ceramic support layer is thicker than a thickness of the active region and thicker than a thickness of the inactive region that does not contain ceramic support layer.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the combined thickness of the electrolyte and the ceramic support layer is about 5 μm to about 20 μm thicker than the thickness of the active region and about 5 μm to about 20 μm thicker than the thickness of the inactive region that does not contain the ceramic reinforcing region.

Assignees

• Bloom Energy Corp

Inventors

• El Batawi Emad
• Petersen Eric
• Stephenson Richard

Classifications

• H01M8/1253

  the electrolyte containing zirconium oxide · CPC title

• H01M8/1246 Primary

  the electrolyte consisting of oxides · CPC title

• H01M8/1226 Primary

  characterised by the supporting layer · CPC title

• H01M2008/1293

  Fuel cells with solid oxide electrolytes · CPC title

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title