Solid oxide fuel cell having monolithic core

Patent · 31 December 1983

OSTI ID:865193

Ackerman, John P ^[1]; Young, John E ^[2]

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1. Downers Grove, IL
2. Woodridge, IL

A solid oxide fuel cell for electrochemically combining fuel and oxidant for generating galvanic output, wherein the cell core has an array of electrolyte and interconnect walls that are substantially devoid of any composite inert materials for support. Instead, the core is monolithic, where each electrolyte wall consists of thin layers of cathode and anode materials sandwiching a thin layer of electrolyte material therebetween, and each interconnect wall consists of thin layers of the cathode and anode materials sandwiching a thin layer of interconnect material therebetween. The electrolyte walls are arranged and backfolded between adjacent interconnect walls operable to define a plurality of core passageways alternately arranged where the inside faces thereof have only the anode material or only the cathode material exposed. Means direct the fuel to the anode-exposed core passageways and means direct the oxidant to the cathode-exposed core passageway; and means also direct the galvanic output to an exterior circuit. Each layer of the electrolyte and interconnect materials is of the order of 0.002-0.01 cm thick; and each layer of the cathode and anode materials is of the order of 0.002-0.05 cm thick.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• Assignee: United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): US 4476198
• OSTI ID: 865193
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/429/
002-0
01
05
adjacent
alternately
anode
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anode-exposed
arranged
array
backfolded
cathode
cathode material
cathode-exposed
cell
cell core
circuit
cm
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combining
combining fuel
composite
composite inert
consists
core
core passageway
core passageways
define
devoid
direct
electrochemically
electrochemically combining
electrolyte
electrolyte material
electrolyte wall
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exposed
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fuel
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galvanic
galvanic output
generating
generating galvanic
inert
inert material
inert materials
inside
interconnect
interconnect material
interconnect materials
interconnect wall
interconnect walls
layer
layers
material
material therebetween
materials
materials sandwiching
means
monolithic
monolithic core
operable
output
oxidant
oxide
oxide fuel
passageway
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plurality
sandwiching
solid
solid oxide
substantially
substantially devoid
support
therebetween
thick
wall
wall consists
walls