A repeat unit for a fuel cell stack, the repeat unit having: a conductive interconnect plate; an electrolyte-supported fuel cell, wherein a dense sealing perimeter extends around the entire perimeter of the fuel cell; a cathode gasket adjacent the cathode side of the fuel cell; and an anode gasket a
A repeat unit for a fuel cell stack, the repeat unit having: a conductive interconnect plate; an electrolyte-supported fuel cell, wherein a dense sealing perimeter extends around the entire perimeter of the fuel cell; a cathode gasket adjacent the cathode side of the fuel cell; and an anode gasket adjacent the anode side of the fuel cell. First and second air manifolding ports, and first and second fuel manifolding ports are provided in each of the interconnect plate, dense sealing perimeter of the fuel cell, cathode gasket and anode gasket. An SOFC stack having an aligned stack of a plurality of repeat units is also provided, as well as an SOFC stack configured for cascade fuel flow.
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1. A repeat unit for a fuel cell stack comprising: (a) a conductive interconnect plate;(b) an electrolyte-supported fuel cell comprising an electrolyte membrane having a dense sealing perimeter, an anode on one side of the membrane, and a cathode on the opposite side of the membrane, wherein said de
1. A repeat unit for a fuel cell stack comprising: (a) a conductive interconnect plate;(b) an electrolyte-supported fuel cell comprising an electrolyte membrane having a dense sealing perimeter, an anode on one side of the membrane, and a cathode on the opposite side of the membrane, wherein said dense sealing perimeter extends around the entire perimeter of the fuel cell;(c) a cathode gasket adjacent the cathode side of the fuel cell, sealingly engaged between the dense sealing perimeter of the fuel cell and the interconnect, the cathode gasket having a central opening therein which is aligned with, and extends about, the cathode of the fuel cell; and(d) an anode gasket adjacent the anode side of the fuel cell, sealingly engageable between the dense sealing perimeter of the fuel cell and an interconnect of another repeat unit, the anode gasket having a central opening therein which is aligned with, and extends about, the anode of the fuel cell;wherein first and second air manifolding ports, and first and second fuel manifolding ports are provided in each of the interconnect plate, dense sealing perimeter of the electrolyte membrane, cathode gasket and anode gasket components, each of said ports on the components aligned with corresponding ports on the other components such that the aligned ports together provide first and second air plenums and first and second fuel plenums;further wherein at least one passageway extends between each of the air ports of said cathode gasket and the central opening of the cathode gasket so as to provide fluid communication between the air ports and the central opening of the cathode gasket; andwherein at least one passageway extends between each of the fuel ports of said anode gasket and the central opening of the anode gasket so as to provide fluid communication between the fuel ports and the central opening of the anode gasket. 2. The repeat unit of claim 1, further comprising a cathode current collector located within the central opening of the cathode gasket and in electrical contact with the cathode of the fuel cell and the interconnect. 3. The repeat unit of claim 2, further comprising an anode current collector located within the central opening of the anode gasket and in electrical contact with the anode of the fuel cell, the anode current collector configured for making electrical contact with the interconnect of an another repeat unit. 4. The repeat unit of claim 1, wherein said interconnect comprises a metal foil between about 50 and about 1000 microns thick, and further wherein said foil interconnect has gas flow channels formed in at least a portion thereof. 5. The repeat unit of claim 1, wherein a pair of first air manifolding ports are provided at one end of each of the interconnect plate, dense sealing perimeter of the fuel cell, cathode gasket and anode gasket, and a pair of second air manifolding ports are provided at an opposite end of each of the interconnect plate, dense sealing perimeter of the fuel cell, cathode gasket and anode gasket, and further wherein the ports, when aligned, a pair of first air plenums at one end of the repeat unit, and a pair of second air plenums are provided at an opposite end of the repeat unit. 6. The repeat unit of claim 5, wherein the first fuel manifolding port is located between the first air manifolding ports, and the second fuel manifolding port is located between the second pair of air manifolding ports, on each of the interconnect plate, dense sealing perimeter of the fuel cell, cathode gasket and anode gasket. 7. The repeat unit of claim 6, further comprising a cathode current collector located within the central opening of the cathode gasket in electrical contact with the cathode of the fuel cell and the interconnect, and an anode current collector located within the central opening of the anode gasket in electrical contact with the anode of the fuel cell, the anode current collector configured for making electrical contact with the interconnect of an another repeat unit. 8. The repeat unit of claim 7, wherein at least one of the current collectors has at least one textured surface for directing air or fuel flow through the central opening in which the current collector is positioned. 9. The repeat unit of claim 3, wherein at least one of the current collectors comprises first and second flat, gas permeable, sheets, and a textured sheet located between said first and second flat sheets. 10. The repeat unit of claim 1, wherein at least one of said anode and cathode gaskets comprises an interior metal shim layer, located between outer electrically-insulating layers. 11. The repeat unit of claim 10, wherein said outer insulating layers comprise glass, or a glass-ceramic composite material. 12. The repeat unit of claim 11, wherein both of said anode and cathode gaskets comprises an interior metal shim layer, located between outer electrically-insulating layers, and further wherein said outer insulating layers comprise glass, or a glass-ceramic composite material. 13. The repeat unit of claim 10, wherein at least a portion of the gasket having the metal shim is internally hollow. 14. The repeat unit of claim 1, wherein at least one of said gaskets is foraminous. 15. An SOFC stack comprising an aligned stack of a plurality of the repeat units of claim 1. 16. An SOFC stack configured for cascade fuel flow therethrough, the stack including a first module comprising an aligned stack of a plurality of repeat units, and a second module comprising an aligned stack of a plurality of repeat units, each of said repeat units comprising: (a) a conductive interconnect plate having first and second air manifolding ports, and first and second fuel manifolding ports;(b) an electrolyte-supported fuel cell comprising an electrolyte membrane having a dense sealing perimeter, an anode on one side of the membrane, and a cathode on the opposite side of the membrane, wherein said dense sealing perimeter includes first and second air manifolding ports and first and second fuel manifolding ports, each of said ports aligned with corresponding ports on the interconnect;(c) a cathode gasket sealingly positioned between the cathode side of the fuel cell and the interconnect, the cathode gasket having first and second air manifolding ports, and first and second fuel manifolding ports, each of said ports aligned with corresponding ports on the interconnect; and(d) an anode gasket sealingly positioned between the anode side of the fuel cell and the interconnect of an adjacent repeat unit, the anode gasket having first and second air manifolding ports, and first and second fuel manifolding ports, each of said ports aligned with corresponding ports on the cathode gasket and on the interconnect of an adjacent repeat unit;wherein the interconnect of the second module which is located adjacent the first module, has only one fuel manifolding port, such that, during operation, fuel which has flowed across the anode side of the fuel cells of the first module provides the fuel which is supplied to the fuel cells of the second module.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (22)
Day, Michael J.; Funk, J. Michael; Lesousky, Todd G.; Seabaugh, Matthew M., Ceramic membranes with integral seals and support, and electrochemical cells and electrochemical cell stacks including the same.
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