Thin film battery/fuel cell power generating system. Final report, Task E-4, April 1976-April 1978

Technical Report · Fri Mar 31 00:00:00 EST 1978

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5925257· OSTI ID:5925257

Feduska, W

A two-year researth program to design and demonstrate the technical feasibility of a high-temperature solid-electrolyte fuel cell is described in detail. A rare-earth chromite, in particular, La /sub 95/Mg /sub 05/Cr /sub 75/Al /sub 25/0/sub 3/ was identified, synthesized by RF-sputtering tested for resistivity, thermal expansion and inertness in contact with yttria-stabilized zirconia, and was found promising as a candidate interconnection material. Films of these interconnection materials have been successfully deposited onto stabilized zirconia tubes by electrochemical vapor deposition (EVD) and the technique has been used to fabricate such films in building fuel cell stacks. Tin-doped indium oxide and antimony-doped tin oxide air electrode current collector materials have been successfully (CVD) chemically vapor deposited, as thin films, onto zirconia tubes. Fabrication procedures for the preparation of thin films of the nickel-cermet fuel electrode and yttria-stabilized zirconia solid electrolyte have been re-verified and improved for use in preparing unit cells and cell stacks on the program. An in-house extrusion technology for porous calcia-stabilized zirconia tubes has been developed and has been used to provide suitable support tubes for component combination samples, unit cell and cell stack sample preparation. Test concepts for component combinations and for unit cells and cell stacks have been evolved, particularly, the crossed electrode technique, and test equipment has been designed, built and used to evaluate fuel cell components and their interfaces. A five-cell fuel cell stack has been fabricated and operated for 700 hours at 200 mA/cm/sup 2/ at 950 to 980/sup 0/C and was subjected to three temperature cycles during the testing. Three series connected cells of this five cell stack met the 80% voltage efficiency final target objective of the program (less than 10% voltage degradation in 700 hours - with only 300 hours required.)

• Research Organization: Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA (United States). Research and Development Center
• DOE Contract Number: EY-76-C-03-1197
• OSTI ID: 5925257
• Report Number(s): CONS-1197-9
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION
COAL FUEL CELLS
CONNECTORS
DESIGN
ELECTRODES
MATERIALS
SOLID ELECTROLYTES
FABRICATION
HIGH-TEMPERATURE FUEL CELLS
ANODES
CATALYST SUPPORTS
CATHODES
CERMETS
CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION
CHROMIUM OXIDES
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
HEAT TREATMENTS
INDIUM OXIDES
IONIC CONDUCTIVITY
LANTHANUM OXIDES
NICKEL
OPERATION
PERFORMANCE TESTING
SPUTTERING
TESTING
THERMAL EXPANSION
TUBES
VAPOR PLATING
YTTRIUM OXIDES
ZIRCONIUM OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL COATING
CHROMIUM COMPOUNDS
COMPOSITE MATERIALS
CONDUCTOR DEVICES
DEPOSITION
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS
ELECTROLYTES
ELEMENTS
EQUIPMENT
EXPANSION
FUEL CELLS
INDIUM COMPOUNDS
LANTHANUM COMPOUNDS
MECHANICAL STRUCTURES
METALS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PLATING
RARE EARTH COMPOUNDS
SUPPORTS
SURFACE COATING
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
YTTRIUM COMPOUNDS
ZIRCONIUM COMPOUNDS
300501* - Fuel Cells- Design & Development
300503 - Fuel Cells- Materials
Components
& Auxiliaries