Solid oxide fuel cell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9853308-B2
Application number	US-201214114571-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 21, 2012
Priority date	May 11, 2011
Publication date	Dec 26, 2017
Grant date	Dec 26, 2017

Abstract

A solid oxide fuel cell includes a fuel cell main body which includes a cathode layer, a solid electrolyte layer, and an anode layer and which has a power generation function; a connector disposed to face one electrode layer of the cathode layer and the anode layer; a current collector which is disposed between the one electrode layer and the connector and which is in contact with a surface of the one electrode layer and a surface of the connector, the surfaces facing each other, to thereby electrically connect the one electrode layer and the connector; and a groove provided in a portion of a surface of the one electrode layer, which surface is located on the side where the one electrode layer is in contact with the current collector, the portion of the surface being not in contact with the current collector.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A solid oxide fuel cell comprising:
a fuel cell main body which includes a cathode layer, a solid electrolyte layer, and an anode layer and which has a power generation function;
a connector having a bottom surface disposed to face an upper surface of the cathode layer;
a plurality of current collectors disposed between the cathode layer and the connector, individual ones of the plurality of current collectors having a first end which is in contact with the upper surface of the cathode layer and a second opposing end which is in contact with the bottom surface of the connector, to thereby electrically connect the cathode layer and the connector; and
a plurality of grooves formed in the upper surface of the cathode layer which increase a contact area between a gas and the upper surface of the cathode layer from which the gas diffuses into an interior of the cathode layer,
wherein the plurality of current collectors is arranged in a form of an array of plural rows and columns occupied by said plurality of current collectors so as to establish horizontally and vertically running gas flow paths along the upper surface of the cathode layer,
wherein the first end of each of the plurality of current collectors has a rectangular cross-section being in contact with the upper surface of the cathode layer and having a longer side and a shorter side,
wherein the vertically running gas flow paths are defined by the longer sides which extend along the vertically running gas flow paths, respectively,
wherein the horizontally running gas flow paths are defined by the shorter sides which extend along the horizontally running gas flow paths, respectively, and
wherein the plurality of grooves is arranged to intersect the horizontally and vertically running gas flow paths.

2. A solid oxide fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein the upper surface of the cathode layer which is in contact with the plurality of current collectors has an arithmetic mean roughness Ra greater than 0.3 μm.

3. A solid oxide fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein the upper surface of the cathode layer which is in contact with the plurality of current collectors has an arithmetic mean waviness Wa less than 0.3 μm.

4. A solid oxide fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of grooves is formed along a direction in which an oxidizing gas supplied to the cathode layer flows.

5. A solid oxide fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of current collectors is made of a material which is the same as the material of the connector such that the plurality of current collectors is united with the connector.

6. A solid oxide fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein the first ends of the plurality of current collectors are intruded into the cathode layer, and
a depth D 2 of intrusion of the first end of at least one of the plurality of current collectors into the cathode layer is greater than a depth D 1 of at least one of the plurality of grooves.

7. A solid oxide fuel cell comprising:
a fuel cell main body which includes a cathode layer, a solid electrolyte layer, and an anode layer and which has a power generation function;
a connector disposed to face a surface of one electrode layer among the cathode layer and the anode layer;
a plurality of current collectors disposed between the one electrode layer and the connector, individual ones of the plurality of current collectors having a first end which is in contact with the surface of the one electrode layer and a second opposing end which is in contact with a surface of the connector, the surfaces facing each other, to thereby electrically connect the one electrode layer and the connector; and
a plurality of grooves formed in the surface of the one electrode layer which increase a contact area between a gas and the surface of the one electrode layer from which the gas diffuses into an interior of the one electrode layer,
wherein the plurality of grooves extends in two directions which are inclined in relation to a direction of a flow path of an oxidizing gas supplied to the cathode layer or a direction of a flow path of a fuel gas supplied to the anode layer,
wherein the plurality of current collectors is arranged in a form of an array of plural rows and columns occupied by said plurality of current collectors so as to establish horizontally and vertically running gas flow paths along the surface of the one electrode layer,
wherein the first end of each of the plurality of current collectors has a rectangular cross-section being in contact with the surface of the one electrode layer and having a longer side and a shorter side,
wherein the vertically running gas flow paths are defined by the longer sides which extend along the vertically running gas flow paths, respectively,
wherein the horizontally running gas flow paths are defined by the shorter sides which extend along the horizontally running gas flow paths, respectively, and
wherein the plurality of grooves is arranged to intersect the horizontally and vertically running gas flow paths.

8. A solid oxide fuel cell according to claim 7 , wherein the surface of the one electrode layer which is in contact with the plurality of current collectors has an arithmetic mean roughness Ra greater than 0.3 μm.

9. A solid oxide fuel cell according to claim 7 , wherein the surface of the one electrode layer which is in contact with the plurality of current collectors has an arithmetic mean waviness Wa less than 0.3 μm.

10. A solid oxide fuel cell according to claim 7 , wherein the plurality of current collectors is made of a material which is the same as the material of the connector such that the plurality of current collectors is united with the connector.

11. A solid oxide fuel cell according to claim 7 , wherein the two extending directions of the plurality of grooves have inclination angles of ±45° in relation to the direction of the flow path of the oxidizing gas or the fuel gas.

12. The solid oxide fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of grooves is formed in a pattern on a top area of the upper surface of the cathode layer.

Assignees

• Ohno Takeshi
• Ishida Satoru
• Sumi Hiroshi
• Ngk Spark Plug Co

Inventors

• Ohno Takeshi
• Ishida Satoru
• Sumi Hiroshi

Classifications

• H01M8/1213

  characterised by the electrode/electrolyte combination or the supporting material · CPC title

• H01M8/0273

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

• H01M2008/1293

  Fuel cells with solid oxide electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M8/0245 Primary

  in the form of layered or coated products · CPC title

• H01M8/2485

  Arrangements for sealing external manifolds; Arrangements for mounting external manifolds around a stack · CPC title