Patent · US Expired

Solide oxide fuel cell stack with composite electrodes and method for making

US5993986A · kind A · utility

63Cited by
48References
19Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 30, 1997
Grant dateNov 30, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 30, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02P70/50
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A planar solid oxide fuel cell stack has a number of fuel cells (anode/electrolyte/cathode) connected in series by a gas tight, electrically conductive interconnection in which at least one electrode is a porous composite of a contiguous network of an ionically conductive material or phase, a contiguous network of an electrically conductive material or phase, and a highly efficient electrocatalyst material or phase which is dispersed within the pores of the electrode so that the electrocatalyst material or phase particles are in contact with both the ionically conductive material or phase and the electrically conductive material or phase. The electrocatalyst particles are introduced into the electrode of the assembled stack by infiltrating the pores of the electrode with a precursor solution through the fuel gas or oxidant gas manifolding connections, respectively. The stack assembly is then heat treated to form small, highly active particles of the dispersed electrocatalyst material or phase within the electrode.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.