Solid oxide fuel cell unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-RE50583-E
Application number	US-201818597903-A
Country	US
Kind code	E1
Filing date	Aug 13, 2018
Priority date	Aug 16, 2017
Publication date	Sep 9, 2025
Grant date	Sep 9, 2025

Abstract

The present invention relates to an improved metal supported solid oxide fuel cell unit, fuel cell stacks, fuel cell stack assemblies, and methods of manufacture.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A metal supported solid oxide fuel cell unit comprising:
a) a metal substrate defining first and second opposed surfaces, wherein at least one solid oxide fuel cell is disposed on said second surface of said metal substrate;
b) a metal spacer, which defines first and second opposed surfaces, said metal spacer comprising:
(i) an external perimeter,
(ii) at least one fuel inlet internal perimeter defining a fuel inlet port,
(iii) at least one cut-out internal perimeter defining a cut-out, and
(iv) at least one fuel outlet internal perimeter defining a fuel outlet port,
wherein said first surface of said metal substrate is attached to said second surface of said metal spacer; and
c) a metal interconnect plate which defines first and second opposed surfaces, said second surface of said metal interconnect plate sealingly attached to said first surface of said metal spacer,
wherein:
a fuel inlet port volume is defined between said first surface of said metal substrate,
each fuel inlet internal perimeter of said metal spacer, and said second surface of said metal interconnect plate,
a cut-out volume is defined between said first surface of said metal substrate, said at least one cut-out internal perimeter of said metal spacer, and said second surface of said metal interconnect plate, and
a fuel outlet port volume is defined between said first surface of said metal substrate,
each fuel outlet internal perimeter of said metal spacer, and said second surface of said metal interconnect plate,
wherein said metal interconnect plate comprises a plurality of bridge portions defining a fluid flow path from said at least one fuel inlet port volume to said at least one cut-out volume to said at least one fuel outlet port volume.

2. A metal supported solid oxide fuel cell unit according to claim 1 , wherein a fluid flow path is defined from the at least one fuel inlet port to the at least one cut-out internal perimeter to the at least one fuel outlet port via the bridge portions.

3. A metal supported solid oxide fuel cell unit according to claim 1 , wherein there are a plurality of bridge portions between adjacent volumes.

4. A metal supported solid oxide fuel cell unit according to claim 1 , wherein each metal spacer fuel inlet port and each metal spacer fuel outlet port comprises a fuel duct region, a plurality of fuel throat regions, and a corresponding plurality of fuel distributor channel regions.

5. A metal supported solid oxide fuel cell unit according to claim 1 , wherein said bridge portions extend outwardly from said first surface of said metal interconnect plate, away from said second surface of said metal interconnect plate.

6. A metal supported solid oxide fuel cell unit according to claim 1 , wherein said bridge portions comprise an elongate dimple.

7. A metal supported solid oxide fuel cell unit according to claim 1 , wherein said bridge portions define a volume between said first surface of said metal spacer and said second surface of said metal interconnect plate.

8. A metal supported solid oxide fuel cell unit according to claim 1 , wherein said metal spacer comprises at least two fuel inlet internal perimeters defining at least two fuel inlet ports.

9. A metal supported solid oxide fuel cell unit according to claim 1 , wherein said metal spacer comprises at least two cut-out internal perimeters defining at least two cut-outs.

10. A metal supported solid oxide fuel cell unit according to claim 1 , wherein said metal spacer comprises at least two fuel outlet internal perimeters defining at least two fuel outlet ports.

11. A metal supported solid oxide fuel cell unit according to claim 1 , wherein said metal supported solid oxide fuel cell unit is a metal supported solid oxide fuel cell stack layer.

12. A solid oxide fuel cell stack comprising a plurality of metal supported solid oxide fuel cell units according to claim 1 .

13. A solid oxide fuel cell stack assembly comprising: a base plate, an end plate, a solid oxide fuel cell stack according to claim 12 , and a skirt attached to said base plate and said end plate and defining a volume between said skirt, said base plate and said end plate within which is contained said fuel cell stack.

14. A method of assembly of a metal supported solid oxide fuel cell unit, the metal supported solid oxide fuel cell unit comprising:
a) a metal substrate defining first and second opposed surfaces, wherein at least one solid oxide fuel cell is disposed on said second surface of said metal substrate;
b) a metal spacer, which defines first and second opposed surfaces, said metal spacer comprising:
(i) an external perimeter,
(ii) at least one fuel inlet internal perimeter defining a fuel inlet port,
(iii) at least one cut-out internal perimeter defining a cut-out, and
(iv) at least one fuel outlet internal perimeter defining a fuel outlet port; and
c) a metal interconnect plate which defines first and second opposed surfaces,
said method of assembly comprising the steps of:
(i) attaching said first surface of said metal substrate to said second surface of said metal spacer; and
(ii) sealingly attaching said second surface of said metal interconnect plate to said first surface of said metal spacer,
wherein:
a fuel inlet port volume is defined between said first surface of said metal substrate,
each fuel inlet internal perimeter of said metal spacer, and said second surface of said metal interconnect plate,
a cut-out volume is defined between said first surface of said metal substrate, said at least one cut-out internal perimeter of said metal spacer, and said second surface of said metal interconnect plate, and
a fuel outlet port volume is defined between said first surface of said metal substrate,
each fuel outlet internal perimeter of said metal spacer, and said second surface of said metal interconnect plate,
wherein said metal interconnect plate comprises a plurality of bridge portions defining a fluid flow path from said at least one fuel inlet port volume to said at least one cut-out volume to said at least one fuel outlet port volume.

15. A metal supported solid oxide fuel cell unit, comprising:
a) a metal substrate defining first and second opposed surfaces, wherein at least one solid oxide fuel cell is disposed on said second surface of said metal substrate; b) a metal spacer, which defines first and second opposed surfaces, said metal spacer comprising a port internal perimeter defining a port, wherein said first surface of said metal substrate is attached to said second surface of said metal spacer; and c) a metal interconnect plate which defines first and second opposed surfaces, said second surface of said metal interconnect plate sealingly attached to said first surface of said metal spacer; wherein: a port volume is defined between said first surface of said metal substrate, said port internal perimeter of said metal spacer, and said second surface of said metal interconnect plate; said metal interconnect plate comprises a bridge portion defining a fluid flow path through which said port volume is coupled to an adjacent volume in the solid oxide fuel cell unit; and said bridge portion defines a volume between said first surface of said metal spacer and said second surface of said metal interconnect plate.

16. A metal supported solid oxide fuel cell unit according to claim 15 , wherein the adjacent volume is an active region of the solid oxide fuel cell unit.

17. A metal supported solid oxide fuel cell unit according to claim 15 , wherein there are a plura

Assignees

• Ceres Ip Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ballard Andrew
• Domanski Tomasz
• Harman Jon
• Robertson Alan

Classifications

• H01M8/0271 Primary

  Sealing or supporting means around electrodes, matrices or membranes · CPC title

• H01M8/0258 Primary

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

• H01M8/0232

  Metals or alloys · CPC title

• H01M8/2483

  characterised by internal manifolds · CPC title

• H01M8/2418

  Grouping by arranging unit cells in a plane (H01M8/2425, H01M8/244 take precedence) · CPC title