AMTEC unit cell with partially opened internal electrode and method for manufacturing the AMTEC cell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9607774-B2
Application number	US-201313958671-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 5, 2013
Priority date	Jan 22, 2013
Publication date	Mar 28, 2017
Grant date	Mar 28, 2017

Abstract

Disclosed are an open internal electrode AMTEC unit cell, a method for manufacturing the same and a method for connecting circuits. In order to overcome the difficulty in collecting electricity within a conventional AMTEC unit cell, an internal electrode of which a portion is open to the outside, so that the internal electrode and an external electrode can be electrically connected to each other at the outside of the unit cell, and a metal support is used as the internal electrode, so that the internal electrode has durability and stability, and a solid electrolyte is formed in the form of a thin film, and as a result, the AMTEC unit cell has an improved efficiency and a simpler manufacturing process.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for manufacturing an open internal electrode AMTEC unit cell, the method comprising:
(i) manufacturing a tubular internal electrode comprising a head and a cylindrical body, wherein,
the tubular internal electrode is formed of a porous metallic material having pores located at the head and the cylindrical body,
the head has a convex shape which is exposed to an outside of the tubular internal electrode, the exposed head collects electricity without a wire, and
the cylindrical body has both open sides;

(ii) filling a metal filler into the pores located at the head for sealing;
(iii) coating a solid electrolyte on the outer surface of the cylindrical body except for the exposed head; and
(iv) coating an external electrode on the outer surface of the coated portion of the solid electrolyte.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein a material of the internal electrode of step (i) comprises at least any one of molybdenum, titanium, tungsten, copper, nickel, nickel-iron alloy, stainless steel, iron and bronze.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein, in step (ii), the metal filler is filled in the head of the internal electrode by using any one of a metal melt infiltration method and a filler metal method.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein, in step (iii), the solid electrolyte is formed of any one of a beta″-alumina based solid electrolyte and a Na super-ionic conductor (NASICON) based solid electrolyte.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein, in step (iii), the solid electrolyte is coated in the form of a thin film by using at least any one of thermal spray coating and plasma coating.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein, in step (iv), the external electrode comprises at least any one of molybdenum, nickel, aluminum, PtW, RhW, TiC, TiN, SiN, RuO, Ru 2 O and Rh 2 W.

7. An open internal electrode AMTEC unit cell comprising:
a tubular internal electrode comprising a head and a cylindrical body, wherein,
the tubular internal electrode is formed of a porous metallic material having pores located at the head and the cylindrical body,
the head has a convex shape which is exposed to an outside of the tubular internal electrode, the exposed head collects electricity without a wire, and
the cylindrical body has both open sides,
wherein a metal filler is filled into the pores located at the head for sealing so that gas is not allowed to pass through the head,
a solid electrolyte formed on the outer surface of the cylindrical body except for the exposed head; and
an external electrode formed on the solid electrolyte.

8. The open internal electrode AMTEC unit cell of claim 7 , wherein a material of the internal electrode comprises at least any one of molybdenum, titanium, tungsten, copper, nickel, nickel-iron alloy, stainless steel, iron and bronze.

9. The open internal electrode AMTEC unit cell of claim 7 , wherein the solid electrolyte is any one of a beta″-alumina based solid electrolyte and a Na super-ionic conductor (NASICON) based solid electrolyte, and wherein the solid electrolyte is formed in the form of a thin film.

10. The open internal electrode AMTEC unit cell of claim 7 , wherein the external electrode is formed to comprise at least any one of molybdenum, nickel, aluminum, PtW, RhW, TiC, TiN, SiN, RuO, Ru 2 O and Rh 2 W.

Assignees

• Korea Energy Research Inst

Inventors

• Kim Sun-Dong
• Kim Se-Young
• Woo Sang-Kuk
• Joo Jong-Hoon
• Han In-Sub
• Seo Doo-Won
• Suh Min-Soo

Classifications

• H01G9/0029

  Processes of manufacture · CPC title

• Y10T29/417

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• H01G9/21 Primary

  Temperature-sensitive devices · CPC title

• H01L35/32

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H10N10/01 Primary

  Manufacture or treatment · CPC title