Electrochemical cells with support ribs and manufacturing methods thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024379983-A1
Application number	US-202418652269-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 1, 2024
Priority date	May 8, 2023
Publication date	Nov 14, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electrochemical cell includes an electrolyte layer, an anode electrode disposed over a first surface of the electrolyte layer, a ceramic anode support laterally surrounding the anode electrode and embedded in the anode electrode, such that a recess configured to receive a seal is located above a periphery of the ceramic anode support, and a cathode disposed over a second surface of the electrolyte layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electrochemical cell, comprising:
an anode support comprising:
a cermet matrix comprising a nickel phase and a ceramic phase; and
ceramic support ribs disposed in the matrix;
an anode electrode disposed on the anode support; an electrolyte layer disposed on the anode electrode; and a cathode electrode disposed on the electrolyte layer.

2 . The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the ceramic support ribs comprise:
first ribs; and second ribs that extend across the first ribs.

3 . The electrochemical cell of claim 2 , wherein:
the first ribs are parallel to each other; the second ribs are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the first ribs; and the first ribs are located between the second ribs and the anode electrode.

4 . The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein:
the ceramic support ribs comprise three to four molar percent yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) or three to four molar percent yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) blended with 2 to 5 mol percent alumina; the ceramic support ribs comprise less than 0.5 mol % nickel; and the cermet matrix comprises a nickel-YSZ cermet.

5 . The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the electrochemical cell comprises a solid oxide fuel cell.

6 . The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the electrochemical cell comprises a solid oxide electrolyzer cell.

7 . The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein:
the anode support has a thickness ranging from about 75 μm to about 125 μm; and the electrolyte layer has a thickness ranging from about 4 μm to about 8 μm.

8 . The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein:
the anode support has a thickness ranging from about 25 μm to about 75 μm; and the electrolyte layer has a thickness ranging from about 30 μm to about 70 μm.

9 . The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the cermet matrix is disposed between the ceramic support ribs and the anode electrode.

10 . An electrochemical cell, comprising:
an anode electrode; a cathode electrode; and an electrolyte disposed between the anode electrode and the cathode electrode, the electrolyte comprising:
a base layer;
a first support layer disposed on a first surface of the base layer and comprising first apertures that expose portions of the first surface of the base layer; and
a second support layer disposed on a second surface of the base layer and comprising second apertures that expose portions of the second surface of the base layer.

11 . The electrochemical cell of claim 10 , wherein:
the cathode electrode directly contacts the exposed portions of the first surface of the base layer and covers the first support layer; and the anode electrode directly contacts the exposed portions of the second surface of the base layer and covers the second support layer.

12 . The electrochemical cell of claim 11 , wherein the first support layer and the second support layer are laterally offset from each other on the base layer, such that each first aperture overlaps with more than one second aperture.

13 . The electrochemical cell of claim 11 , wherein the first support layer and the second support layer are laterally aligned on the base layer, such that each first aperture overlaps with only one second aperture.

14 . The electrochemical cell of claim 10 , wherein the first support layer, the second support layer, and the base layer each comprise a ceramic ionically conductive material.

15 . The electrochemical cell of claim 10 , wherein the cathode electrode partially fills the first apertures, and the anode electrode partially fills the second apertures.

16 . The electrochemical cell of claim 10 , wherein the cathode electrode completely fills the first apertures, and the anode electrode completely fills the second apertures.

17 . A method of forming an electrochemical cell, comprising:
forming a support by forming ceramic support ribs and forming a cermet matrix between the ceramic support ribs; forming an anode electrode over the support; forming a ceramic electrolyte over the anode electrode; and forming a cathode electrode over the ceramic electrolyte.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein:
the forming the support comprises forming a green-state support; forming the anode electrode comprises forming a green-state cermet anode electrode; and forming the ceramic electrolyte comprises forming a green-state ceramic electrolyte.

19 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising sintering the green-state support, the green-state cermet anode electrode and the green-state ceramic electrolyte prior to forming the cathode electrode over the ceramic electrolyte.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the forming the green-state support comprises:
forming first green-state ceramic ribs by slot-die coating; forming a first cermet matrix between the first green-state ceramic support ribs by tape casting to form a first anode support tape; forming second green-state ceramic ribs by slot-die coating; forming a second cermet matrix between the second green-state ceramic support ribs by tape casting to form a second anode support tape; cutting the first anode support tape to form a first support layer; cutting the second anode support tape to form a second support layer; and stacking the first support layer on the second support layer such that the first green-state ceramic ribs extend perpendicular to the second green-state ceramic ribs.

21 . An electrochemical cell, comprising:
an electrolyte layer; an anode electrode disposed over a first surface of the electrolyte layer; a ceramic anode support laterally surrounding the anode electrode and embedded in the anode electrode, wherein a recess configured to receive a seal is located above a periphery of the ceramic anode support; and a cathode disposed over a second surface of the electrolyte layer.

22 . The electrochemical cell of claim 21 , wherein the ceramic anode support comprises:
a ceramic seal frame disposed on a peripheral region of the electrolyte layer and laterally surrounding the anode electrode; and a ceramic reinforcement structure disposed inside of the seal frame and embedded the anode electrode.

23 . The electrochemical cell of claim 22 , wherein a top surface of the anode electrode is located above a top surface of the seal frame, such that the recess configured to receive the seal is located above the seal frame.

24 . The electrochemical cell of claim 22 , wherein the anode electrode comprises:
a first functionally graded anode (FGA) layer comprising a first nickel cermet disposed on the top surface of the electrolyte layer; and a second FGA layer comprising a second nickel cermet disposed on the first FGA layer, the second FGA layer having at least one of a higher nickel content or a higher porosity than the first FGA layer.

25 . The electrochemical cell of claim 24 , wherein:
the reinforcement structure has an open cell structure and is embedded in the second FGA layer; and the first FGA layer is located between the reinforcement structure and the first surface of the electrolyte layer.

26 . The electrochemical cell of claim 21 , wherein:
the ceramic anode support comprises, yttria stabilized zirconia, scandia stabilized zirconia, samaria doped ceria, alumina, ceria-zirconia, or a combination thereof; and the electrolyte layer comprise

Assignees

• Bloom Energy Corp

Inventors

• Schmauss Travis
• Pan Keji
• El Batawi Emad
• Armstrong Tad
• Byrd Adam

Classifications

• H01M4/9066

  of metal-ceramic composites or mixtures, e.g. cermets · CPC title

• H01M8/0273

  with sealing or supporting means in the form of a frame · CPC title

• C25B9/63

  Holders for electrodes; Positioning of the electrodes · CPC title

• H01M8/0282

  Inorganic material · CPC title

• C25B13/07

  based on ceramics · CPC title