Fuel cell unit and fuel cell stack

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022293970-A1
Application number	US-201917414277-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 3, 2019
Priority date	Dec 20, 2018
Publication date	Sep 15, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A metal-supported, SOEC or SOFC fuel cell unit (10) comprising a separator plate (12) and metal support plate (14) with chemistry layers (50) overlie one another to form a repeat unit, at least one plate having flanged perimeter features (18) formed by pressing the plate, the plates being directly adjoined at the flanged perimeter features to form a fluid volume (20) between them and each having at least one fluid port (22), wherein the ports are aligned and communicate with the fluid volume, and at least one of the plates has pressed shaped port features (24) formed around its port extending towards the other plate and including elements spaced from one another to define fluid pathways to enable passage of fluid from the port to the fluid volume. Raised members (120) may receive a gasket (34), act as a hard stop or act as a seal bearing surface.

First claim

1 . A metal-supported solid oxide fuel cell unit comprising:
a separator plate; and a metal support plate carrying fuel cell chemistry layers provided over a porous region; the separator plate and the metal support plate overlying one another to form a repeat unit; wherein: at least one of the separator plate and the metal support plate comprises flanged perimeter features formed by pressing the plate to a concave configuration; the separator plate and the metal support plate are directly adjoined at the flanged perimeter features to form a fluid volume therebetween; at least one fluid port is provided in each of the separator plate and the metal support plate within the flanged perimeter features, the respective fluid ports being aligned and in communication with the fluid volume; and at least one of the separator plate and the metal support plate is provided with shaped port features formed around its port by pressing, which shaped port features extend towards the other plate, and elements of the shaped port features are spaced from one another to define fluid pathways between the elements from the port to enable passage of fluid from the port to the fluid volume.

2 . A metal-supported fuel cell unit according to claim 1 , wherein the fuel cell chemistry layers take the form of an electrochemically active layer comprising an anode, an electrolyte and a cathode formed onto the metal support plate over the porous region that is provided within the metal support plate.

3 . A metal-supported fuel cell unit according to claim 1 , wherein the porous region is provided on a separate plate over which the fuel cell chemistry layers, taking the form of an electrochemically active layer comprising an anode, an electrolyte and a cathode, are formed, and the separate plate is provided over a window on the metal support plate.

4 . A metal-supported fuel cell unit according to claim 1 , wherein the fluid pathways from the fluid port to the fluid volume are tortuous and/or cross one another at a plurality of locations.

5 . A metal-supported fuel cell unit according to claim 1 , wherein the flanged perimeter features are only provided on the separator plate.

6 . A metal-supported fuel cell unit according to claim 1 , wherein the shaped port features are only provided on the separator plate.

7 . A metal-supported fuel cell unit according to claim 1 , wherein the shaped port features are the same height above the surface from which they extend as the distance between opposed inner surfaces of the two plates.

8 . A metal-supported fuel cell unit according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the separator plate and the metal support plate is provided with one or a plurality of raised members formed by pressing, that extend away from the other plate and that are arranged around the or each fluid port.

9 . A metal-supported fuel cell unit according to claim 8 , wherein there are a plurality of raised members so arranged to define a space for accommodating a gasket within the raised members and/or a plurality of raised members so arranged to define a perimeter for accommodating a gasket outside of the raised members.

10 . A metal-supported fuel cell unit according to claim 8 , wherein there are a plurality of raised members interspersed amongst the shaped port features.

11 . A metal-supported fuel cell unit according to claim 8 , wherein the or each raised member is positioned outside of the shaped port features.

12 . A metal-supported fuel cell unit according to claim 8 , wherein the or each raised member of the one or a plurality of raised members has a peak that defines a hard stop surface against which an adjacent fuel cell unit, or a part extending therefrom, can bear during assembly of a stack of the cell units.

13 . A metal-supported fuel cell unit according to claim 12 , wherein there are multiple raised members defining hard stop surfaces and the hard stop surfaces all lie in a common plane.

14 . A solid oxide fuel cell stack comprising a plurality of fuel cell units each according to claim 1 , the fuel cell units being stacked upon one another with seals around the fluid ports between adjacent fuel cell units, the seals optionally overlying the shaped port features.

15 . The fuel cell stack according to claim 14 , wherein the seals comprise one of gaskets and in situ seals.

16 . (canceled)

17 . The fuel cell stack according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the separator plate and the metal support plate is provided with one or a plurality of raised members formed by pressing, that extend away from the other plate and that are arranged around the or each fluid port, wherein the or each raised member of the one or a plurality of raised members has a peak that defines a hard stop surface against which an adjacent fuel cell unit, or a part extending therefrom, can bear during assembly of a stack of the cell units, wherein the at least one seal that sits on a seal receiving surface of a lower one of the fuel cell units has a height above that seal receiving surface before the next fuel cell unit is stacked thereon, and the hard stop surface of the lower one of the fuel cell units has a height that is located above that seal receiving surface but below the height of the seal that sits on the seal receiving surface so as to provide a limit to compression between the adjacent fuel cell units.

18 . The fuel cell stack according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the seals is positioned partially in a groove that surrounds a respective fluid port for that seal, the groove being optionally located in a raised portion of the plate.

19 . The fuel cell stack according to claim 1 , wherein the internal components of the fuel cell stack comprises only the stack of cell units and the seals, the seals optionally overlying the shaped port features around the respective fluid ports.

20 . The fuel cell stack according to claim 1 , wherein the pressed shaped port features define concave pores on the outer surface of the plate in which they are formed, which pores of each set of shaped port features are covered by one of the seals, the pores optionally being located in a raised portion of the plate.

21 . A method of manufacturing a metal-supported solid oxide fuel cell unit, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a separator plate; providing a metal support plate; and processing at least one of the metal support plate and the separator plate to form:
flanged perimeter features;
at least one fluid port within the separator plate and the metal support plate; and
shaped port features formed around at least one of the at least one fluid ports,
the processing comprising at least pressing of the plate or plates to form the flanged perimeter features to form a concave configuration in the plate or plates, and likewise pressing the shaped port features;
the method further comprising:
overlying the separator plate and the metal support plate over one another to form a repeat unit;
directly joining the separator plate and the metal support plate at the flanged perimeter features, wherein the flanged perimeter features that form the concave configuration form a fluid volume therebetween, wherein the shaped port features extend towards the other plate, and elements of the shaped port features are spaced apart from one another to provide fluid pathways from the port to the fluid volume, and optionally,
wherein the fluid ports are cut before the pressing of the plate or plates to form the

Assignees

• Ceres Ip Co Ltd

Inventors

• Rees Lee David
• Freeman Euan Norman Harvey
• Domanski Tomasz
• Nobbs Christopher James

Classifications

• Y02P70/50

  Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product · CPC title

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• C25B9/73

  of the filter-press type · CPC title

• C25B9/77

  having diaphragms · CPC title

• C25B1/04 Primary

  by electrolysis of water · CPC title