Metal Supported Proton Conduction Fuel Cell with Structured Electrolyte

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024313247-A1
Application number	US-202318183321-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 14, 2023
Priority date	Mar 14, 2023
Publication date	Sep 19, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

A proton conduction fuel cell has an anode support made of metal having a fuel flow channel, an anode comprising an anode active material in contact with the anode support, a cathode support made of metal having a cathode gas flow channel, a cathode comprising a cathode active material in contact with the cathode support, and an electrolyte layer. The electrolyte layer comprises a first layer of electrolyte formed in a lock pattern on the anode and a second layer of the electrolyte formed in a key pattern on the cathode. The second layer fits in the lock pattern of the first layer to form the electrolyte layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A proton conduction fuel cell, comprising:
an anode support made of metal having a fuel flow channel; an anode comprising an anode active material in contact with the anode support; a cathode support made of metal having a cathode gas flow channel; a cathode comprising a cathode active material in contact with the cathode support; and an electrolyte layer comprising:
a first layer of electrolyte formed in a lock pattern on the anode; and
a second layer of the electrolyte formed in a key pattern on the cathode, the second layer fitting in the lock pattern of the first layer to form the electrolyte layer.

2 . The proton conduction fuel cell of claim 1 , wherein the lock pattern of the first layer is parallel first rows, each first row having a first width with a first space between adjacent first rows, the first space having a second width, and
the key pattern of the second layer is parallel second rows, each second row being the second width with a second space between adjacent second rows, the second space having the first width.

3 . The proton conduction fuel cell of claim 2 , wherein the first width is greater than the second width.

4 . The proton conduction fuel cell of claim 1 , wherein the lock pattern of the first layer has cutouts uniformly spaced across a surface area of the first layer, and
the key pattern of the second layer has islands of the electrolyte each formed in a shape of a cutout and uniformly positioned across a surface area of the second layer to align with the cutouts of the first layer.

5 . The proton conduction fuel cell of claim 4 , wherein a total surface area of the electrolyte in the first layer is greater than a total surface area of the electrolyte in the second layer.

6 . The proton conduction fuel cell of claim 1 , further comprising:
adhesive between the second layer of electrolyte and the cathode.

7 . The proton conduction fuel cell of claim 6 , wherein the adhesive is silicate glass.

8 . The proton conduction fuel cell of claim 1 , further comprising:
adhesive at an interface between the electrolyte of the first layer and the electrolyte of the second layer.

9 . The proton conduction fuel cell of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte comprises one or more of BaCe 0.4 Zr 0.4 Y 0.1 Yb 0.1 O 3−δ , BaZr 0.7 Ce 0.2 Y 0.1 O 3−δ , BaZr 0.8 Y 0.2 O 3−δ , BaZr 0.9 Y 0.1 O 3 , BaCe 0.9 Gd 0.1 O 3 , BaCe 0.8 Zr 0.1 Gd 0.1 O 3 , and BaCe 0.65 Zr 0.2 Y 0.15 O 3−δ .

10 . The proton conduction fuel cell of claim 1 , wherein the anode active material is a BaCe 0.4 Zr 0.4 Y 0.1 Yb 0.1 O 3−δ and nickel composite.

11 . The proton conduction fuel cell of claim 1 , wherein the anode support has an anode facing surface and the cathode support has a cathode facing surface, wherein one or both of the anode facing surface and the cathode facing surface have surface irregularities.

12 . The proton conduction fuel cell of claim 11 , wherein:
the cathode facing surface has surface irregularities; and the cathode has a smaller surface area perpendicular to a stacking direction than the cathode support and the electrolyte layer, defining a perimeter space around the cathode, the proton conduction fuel cell further comprising: adhesive in the perimeter space.

13 . The proton conduction fuel cell of claim 11 , wherein:
the anode facing surface has surface irregularities in a form of a lock pattern; and a support facing surface of the anode is modified to have a key pattern, the key pattern of the support facing surface fitting in the lock pattern of the anode facing surface of the anode support.

14 . A proton conduction fuel cell, comprising:
an anode support made of metal; an anode comprising an anode active material in contact with the anode support; a cathode support made of metal; a cathode comprising a cathode active material in contact with the cathode support; and an electrolyte layer comprising:
a first layer of electrolyte formed in a lock pattern on the anode; and
a second layer of the electrolyte formed in a key pattern and attached to the cathode with an adhesive, the second layer fitting in the lock pattern of the first layer to form the electrolyte layer.

15 . The proton conduction fuel cell of claim 14 , wherein the adhesive is silicate glass and the electrolyte comprises BaCe 0.4 Zr 0.4 Y 0.1 Yb 0.1 O 3−δ or BaZr 0.7 Ce 0.2 Y 0.1 O 3−δ .

16 . The proton conduction fuel cell of claim 14 , wherein the first layer has a total area of the electrolyte greater than a total area of the electrolyte of the second layer.

17 . The proton conduction fuel cell of claim 14 , further comprising:
adhesive between an area of contact between the electrolyte of the first layer and the electrolyte of the second layer.

18 . The proton conduction fuel cell of claim 14 , wherein the anode support has an anode facing surface and the cathode support has a cathode facing surface, wherein one or both of the anode facing surface and the cathode facing surface have surface irregularities.

19 . The proton conduction fuel cell of claim 14 , wherein:
the anode support has an anode facing surface having surface irregularities in a form of a lock pattern; and a support facing surface of the anode is modified to have a key pattern, the key pattern of the support facing surface fitting in the lock pattern of the anode facing surface of the anode support.

20 . The proton conduction fuel cell of claim 14 , wherein the cathode has a smaller surface area perpendicular to a stacking direction than the cathode support and the electrolyte layer, defining a perimeter space around the cathode, the proton conduction fuel cell further comprising:
adhesive in the perimeter space.

Assignees

• Nissan North America Inc

Inventors

• Gumeci Cenk
• Patil Sandeep

Classifications

• H01M2008/1293

  Fuel cells with solid oxide electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M8/0258

  characterised by the configuration of channels, e.g. by the flow field of the reactant or coolant · CPC title

• H01M4/9016

  Oxides, hydroxides or oxygenated metallic salts · CPC title

• H01M8/1007

  with both reactants being gaseous or vaporised (H01M8/12 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M8/0232

  Metals or alloys · CPC title