Cell unit, cell stack device, cell unit device and module

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9963793-B2
Application number	US-201414899022-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 19, 2014
Priority date	Jun 28, 2013
Publication date	May 8, 2018
Grant date	May 8, 2018

Abstract

A cell unit includes a cell stack, two manifolds. The cell stack includes cells. Each cell has a elliptical columnar shape. The each cell includes an inner electrode layer, a solid oxide solid electrolyte layer, an outer electrode layer, a first portion, a second portion, a middle portion and a distribution hole. The solid oxide solid electrolyte layer is on the inner electrode layer. The outer electrode layer is on the solid oxide solid electrolyte layer. The first portion is at one end of the each cell in the length direction of the cells. The second portion is at the other end of the each cell in the length direction. The middle portion is located between the first portion and the second portion. The distribution hole passes through from the first portion to the second portion. A first manifold fixes the first portions. A second manifold fixes the second portions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cell unit comprising:
a cell stack comprising a plurality of cells, each cell of the plurality of cells having an elliptical columnar shape and comprising:
an inner electrode layer;
a solid oxide solid electrolyte layer located on the inner electrode layer;
an outer electrode layer located on the solid oxide solid electrolyte layer;
a first portion at one end of the each cell in the length direction of the cells;
a second portion at the other end of the each cell in the length direction;
a middle portion located between the first portion and the second portion; and
a distribution hole passing through from the first portion to the second portion;

a first manifold fixing the first portions of the plurality of cells, the first manifold supplying gas to the distribution holes of the plurality of cells; and
a second manifold fixing the second portions of the plurality of cells, the second manifold recovering gas discharged from the distribution holes of the plurality of cells,
wherein the each cell comprises an interconnector electrically connected to the inner electrode layer,
the plurality of cells comprising a first cell and a second cell adjacent to the first cell,
the second cell comprising the outer electrode layer, the outer electrode layer comprising:
a first surface close to the solid oxide solid electrolyte layer of the second cell;
a second surface close to the first cell;

wherein the interconnector of the first cell is bonded to the second surface,
a first layer; and
a second layer closer to the first cell than the first layer, and

wherein the first layer has a higher porosity than the second layer.

2. The cell unit according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of cells are arranged in a horizontal direction.

3. The cell unit according to claim 1 , wherein a gas-flow passage for discharging gas from the plurality of cells is provided in the first surface.

4. A cell stack device comprising:
the cell unit according to claim 1 ;
and a heating body for heating the middle portion of each cell of the plurality of cells in the longitudinal direction.

5. The cell stack device according to claim 4 , wherein the heating body does not face the first portions and the second portions of the plurality of cells.

6. The cell stack device according to claim 4 , wherein the first manifold and the second manifold extend along the plurality of cells in a longitudinal direction of the cell stack.

7. The cell stack device according to claim 4 comprising a cooling member on at least the first portions or the second portions of the plurality of cells.

8. A cell unit device comprising:
a plurality of the cell units according to claim 1 ; and
the plurality of cell units being arranged in parallel in a vertical direction so that the plurality of cells of each cell unit of the plurality of cell units are disposed in a horizontal direction.

9. The cell unit device according to claim 8 , wherein the first manifold of each cell unit of the plurality of cell units and the second manifold of the each cell unit are disposed to alternate in the vertical direction, and
the first manifold of the each cell unit and the second manifold of the each cell unit overlap in a plan view.

10. The cell unit device according to claim 8 , wherein the first manifolds of the plurality of cell units overlap each other in a plan view, and
the second manifolds of the plurality of cell units overlap each other in the plan view.

11. The cell unit device according to claim 8 , wherein
at least one of the plurality of cell units comprises a heating body for heating the middle portions of the plurality of cells,
the heating body faces the middle portions, and
the heating body does not face the first portions and the second portions of the plurality of cells.

12. The cell unit device according to claim 11 , wherein the heating body encloses the entire outer periphery of the cell units.

13. A module comprising:
a housing container;
the cell unit according to claim 1 being housed in the housing container.

14. A module comprising:
a housing container;
the cell unit according to claim 1 being housed in the housing container; and
a heating body being disposed in the housing container,
the heating body for heating the middle portions of the plurality of cells and being provided separately from the cell unit.

Assignees

• Kyocera Corp

Inventors

• Ono Takashi
• Shiraishi Shinpei
• Takahashi Naruto

Classifications

• H01M2008/1293

  Fuel cells with solid oxide electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M4/861

  with a gradient in the porosity · CPC title

• Y02E60/366

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• C25B11/035

  Chemistry & Metallurgy · mapped topic

• C25B9/08

  Chemistry & Metallurgy · mapped topic