Method of manufacturing solid oxide electrolyzer cells using a continuous furnace

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022231317-A1
Application number	US-202217572956-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 11, 2022
Priority date	Jan 15, 2021
Publication date	Jul 21, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a solid oxide electrolyzer cell (SOEC) includes removing a binder from the SOEC using microwave radiation while the SOEC is disposed in a first zone of a furnace, and sintering the SOEC while the SOEC is disposed in a second zone of the furnace.

First claim

1 . A method of manufacturing a solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC), comprising:
removing a binder from the SOEC using microwave radiation while the SOEC is disposed in a first zone of a furnace; and sintering the SOEC while the SOEC is disposed in a second zone of the furnace.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the SOEC is continuously moved through the first and second zones during the steps of removing the binder and the sintering.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the furnace is a continuous pusher or roller hearth kiln.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the removing a binder comprises removing the binder from multiple SOECs loaded on a ceramic support using the microwave radiation while the ceramic support moves through the first zone of the furnace.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the sintering comprises sintering the multiple SOECs loaded on the ceramic support while the ceramic support moves through the second zone of the furnace.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the removing the binder comprises removing the binder from an electrode ink coated on one side of a solid oxide electrolyte of the SOEC.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the removing the binder comprises removing the binder from respective first and second electrode inks coated on opposing first and second sides of a solid oxide electrolyte of the SOEC.

8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
printing the first electrode ink on the first side of the solid oxide electrolyte; drying the first electrode ink; printing the second electrode ink on the second side of the electrolyte; drying the second electrode ink to form the SOEC; and providing the SOEC to the first zone of the furnace after drying the first and the second electrode inks.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first zone comprises a microwave source configured to generate the microwave radiation.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first zone comprises multiple microwave sources configured to generate the microwave radiation.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sintering comprises heating the second zone using a gas heating element.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the SOEC continuously moves through the first zone and the second zone at a constant rate.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the SOEC passes through the first and second zones without exiting the furnace.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the removing the binder from the SOEC using microwave radiation occurs at a temperature of 400° C. to 800° C.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the sintering occurs at a temperature of 1100° C. to 1400° C.

16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sintering sinters at least one electrode of the SOEC to a solid oxide electrolyte of the SOEC.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the solid oxide electrolyte comprises a stabilized zirconia or a doped ceria material.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the at least one electrode comprises an air electrode comprising as an electrically conductive perovskite material.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the air electrode comprises a mixture of the electrically conductive perovskite material and an ionically conductive ceramic material.

20 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the at least one electrode comprises an fuel electrode comprising a cermet material.

Assignees

• Bloom Energy Corp

Inventors

• El Batawi Emad

Classifications

• C04B2235/667

  Sintering using wave energy, e.g. microwave sintering · CPC title

• C25B9/60 Primary

  Constructional parts of cells · CPC title

• H01M8/0656

  by electrochemical means (H01M8/065 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C25B1/042

  by electrolysis of steam · CPC title

• C25B9/67

  Heating or cooling means · CPC title