Direct methane fueled thin film sofc technology

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022209247-A1
Application number	US-202117512918-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 28, 2021
Priority date	Dec 28, 2020
Publication date	Jun 30, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

Described herein are novel alumina substrate-supported thin film SOFCs that may be produced at significantly reduced cost while providing improved robustness, high electrochemical performance, and the capability of effective carbon deposition resistance while still using Ni-cermet as an anode functional layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A micro-tubular solid oxide fuel cell comprising:
a NiO-SDC anode substrate; an internal graphite layer; at least one micro channel forming a micro channel array extending through both the NiO-SDC anode and the internal graphite layer, wherein the internal graphite layer is removed to provide access to the at least one micro channel in the NiO-SDC anode substrate; an electrolyte outer coating; and at least one cathode ink applied to the electrolyte outer coating.

2 . The fuel cell of claim 1 , wherein the micro channel array is radially aligned with respect to the NiO-SDC anode substrate.

3 . The fuel cell of claim 1 , wherein peak power density is at least 1.5 times that of a cell with an anode substrate fabricated from a single layer extrusion method.

4 . The fuel cell of claim 1 , further comprising multi-layered microstructures within the fuel cell.

5 . The fuel cell of claim 1 , wherein the micro channel array reduces a polarization resistance of the fuel cell.

6 . The fuel cell of claim 1 , wherein the fuel cell has an increased fuel utilization rate as compared to a conventional fuel cell.

7 . The fuel cell of claim 1 , wherein the fuel cell exhibits gas permeation performance approximately nine times greater than a conventional fuel cell formed from a single layer extrusion method.

8 . The fuel cell of claim 1 , wherein the fuel cell exhibits open circuit voltages exceeding those of a conventional fuel cell formed from a single layer extrusion method.

9 . A method for making a micro-channel array structured micro-tubular solid oxide fuel cell comprising:
employing at least one polymer binder, at least one solvent and at least one dispersant to prepare an organic solution; mixing at least two anode powders and introducing them to the organic solution to form an anode slurry; employing a graphite slurry as an inner layer of an anode substrate with the anode slurry forming an outer layer; employing an internal coagulant; employing a phase inversion based dual-layer co-extrusion process with respect to the graphite slurry, anode slurry and internal coagulant; solidifying the respective slurries to form at least one micro-tubular body; applying at least one electrolyte layer to the at least one micro-tubular body; and applying at least one cathode ink onto the at least one electrolyte layer.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the at least two anode powders comprise NiO and SDC.

11 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising producing finger-like pores via phase inversion in the at least one micro-tubular body .

12 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising removing the internal graphite layer from the fuel cell via firing.

13 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising forming a radially aligned micro channel array within the NiO-SDC anode substrate.

14 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising forming the fuel cell such that peak power density is at least 1.5 times that of a conventional fuel cell with an anode substrate fabricated from a single layer extrusion method.

15 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising forming multi-layered microstructures within the fuel cell.

16 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising forming a micro channel array to reduce a polarization resistance of the fuel cell.

17 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising forming the fuel cell with an increased fuel utilization rate as compared to a conventional fuel cell.

18 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising forming the fuel cell to exhibit gas permeation performance approximately nine times greater than a conventional fuel cell formed from a single layer extrusion method.

19 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising forming the fuel cell to exhibit open circuit voltages exceeding those of a conventional fuel cell formed from a single layer extrusion method.

Assignees

• Univ South Carolina

Inventors

• Xue Xingjian
• Ren Chunlei

Classifications

• H01M8/12

  operating at high temperature, e.g. with stabilised ZrO2 electrolyte · CPC title

• H01M4/8828

  Coating with slurry or ink · CPC title

• H01M2008/1293

  Fuel cells with solid oxide electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M10/052 Primary

  Li-accumulators · CPC title

• H01M4/8807

  Gas diffusion layers · CPC title