Fuel cell devices are provided having improved shrinkage properties between the active and non-active structures by modifying the material composition of the non-active structure, having a non-conductive, insulating barrier layer between the active structure and surface conductors that extend over t
Fuel cell devices are provided having improved shrinkage properties between the active and non-active structures by modifying the material composition of the non-active structure, having a non-conductive, insulating barrier layer between the active structure and surface conductors that extend over the inactive surrounding support structure, having the width of one or both electrodes progressively change along the length, or having a porous ceramic layer between the anode and fuel passage and between the cathode and air passage. Another fuel cell device is provided having an internal multilayer active structure with electrodes alternating in polarity from top to bottom and external conductors on the top and/or bottom surface with sympathetic polarity to the respective top and bottom electrodes. A fuel cell system is provided with a fuel cell device having an enlarged attachment surface at one or both ends, which resides outside the system's heat source, insulated therefrom.
대표청구항▼
1. A fuel cell device, comprising: one or more active structures each having an anode and cathode in opposing relation with an electrolyte therebetween; anda surrounding support structure including a top cover region, a bottom cover region, opposing side margin regions, and optional interposer layer
1. A fuel cell device, comprising: one or more active structures each having an anode and cathode in opposing relation with an electrolyte therebetween; anda surrounding support structure including a top cover region, a bottom cover region, opposing side margin regions, and optional interposer layer regions, the surrounding support structure positioned in surrounding relation to the one or more active structures and being monolithic with one of the anode, cathode or electrolyte of each of the one or more active structures,wherein a material composition used for the surrounding support structure includes a modification configured to alter the shrinkage properties of the surrounding support structure to more closely match shrinkage properties of the one or more active structures than in the absence of the modification, said modification including one or more of the following: (a) where the surrounding support structure comprises a ceramic material that is monolithic with the electrolyte, the material composition includes an addition of anode or cathode material in one or more of the regions;(b) where the surrounding support structure comprises an anode material that is monolithic with the anode, the material composition includes an addition of electrolyte or cathode material in one or more of the regions;(c) where the surrounding support structure comprises a cathode material that is monolithic with the cathode, the material composition includes an addition of electrolyte or anode material in one or more of the regions;(d) an addition of an inorganic shrinkage control material to the material composition that is not present in the one or more active structures;(e) an increase in particle size used for the material composition than the particle sizes of materials used in the one or more active structures;(f) a decrease in particle size used for the material composition than the particle sizes of materials used in the one or more active structures; or(g) an addition of an organic fugitive material to the material composition that is not present in the one or more active structures or in an amount greater than present in the one or more active structures, which organic fugitive material is removed during baking and/or sintering of the material composition to form pores or voids in the surrounding support structure. 2. The fuel cell device of claim 1, including modification (a), wherein the addition includes alternating composite layers of anode material and cathode material, each mixed with electrolyte material. 3. A fuel cell device, comprising: an active structure having an anode and cathode in opposing relation with an electrolyte therebetween;an inactive surrounding support structure monolithic with the electrolyte and defining a first portion of an outer surface of the device, wherein the inactive surrounding support structure lacks the anode and cathode in opposing relation and the active structure resides within the inactive surrounding support structure with the anode exposed at a second portion of the outer surface and the cathode exposed at a third portion of the outer surface;a first surface conductor on the second portion of the outer surface in electrical contact with the exposed anode and extending over the first portion of the outer surface;a second surface conductor on the third portion of the outer surface in electrical contact with the exposed cathode and extending over the first portion of the outer surface;a non-conductive, insulating barrier layer between the active structure and the first and second surface conductors extending over the first portion. 4. The fuel cell device of claim 3, wherein the non-conductive, insulating barrier layer is a surface layer that lies between the first portion of the outer surface and the first and second surface conductors extending over the first portion. 5. The fuel cell device of claim 3, wherein the non-conductive, insulating barrier layer is an internal layer that lies within the surrounding support structure between the first portion of the outer surface over which the first and second surface conductors extend and the active structure. 6. The fuel cell device of claim 3, wherein the non-conductive, insulating barrier layer is glass or non-conducting ceramic. 7. The fuel cell device of claim 3, further comprising an internal non-conductive passivation layer adjacent to one or both of the exposed anode and exposed cathode within the inactive surrounding support structure. 8. A fuel cell system, comprising: a fuel cell device having first and second opposing ends with an elongate body therebetween comprising an active structure having an anode and cathode in opposing relation with an electrolyte therebetween, and an inactive surrounding support structure monolithic with the electrolyte and lacking the anode and cathode in opposing relation, wherein the active structure resides within the inactive surrounding support structure, and wherein the inactive surrounding support structure adjacent the first opposing end is larger in at least one dimension relative to a remainder of the elongate body to form a first enlarged attachment surface at the first opposing end;a heat source for applying heat to the fuel cell device, wherein at least a first portion of the elongate body containing the active structure resides within the heat source and at least a second portion of the elongate body including the first opposing end containing the first enlarged attachment surface resides outside the heat source; andan insulating material between the first and second portions of the elongate body shielding the first opposing end from the heat source. 9. The fuel cell system of claim 8, further comprising one or more resistance heating elements on a surface of the portion of the elongate body residing within the heat source and coupled to end contacts on a surface of the elongate body residing outside the heat source. 10. The fuel cell system of claim 8, wherein the inactive surrounding support structure adjacent the second opposing ends is larger in at least one dimension relative to the remainder of the elongate body to form a second enlarged attachment surface at the second opposing end, and a third portion of the elongate body including the second opposing end containing the second enlarged attachment surface resides outside the heat source with the insulating material further between the first and third portions of the elongate body shielding the second opposing end from the heat source. 11. A fuel cell device comprising: first and second opposing ends defining an elongate body therebetween of length greater than width and thickness,an active structure in the elongate body having an anode and cathode in opposing relation with an electrolyte therebetween, andan inactive surrounding support structure monolithic with the electrolyte and lacking the anode and cathode in opposing relation, the active structure residing within the inactive surrounding support structure,wherein the width of one or both of the anode and cathode progressively changes along the length of the elongate body in the active structure. 12. The fuel cell device of claim 11, wherein the width increases continuously. 13. The fuel cell device of claim 11, wherein the active structure comprises a plurality of cells electrically connected in series, each having the anode and cathode in opposing relation with the electrolyte therebetween, wherein the width for each cell progressively changes along the length. 14. The fuel cell device of claim 13, the width for each cell is greater than that of the preceding cell. 15. A fuel cell device, comprising: a multilayer active structure having electrode layers in opposing relation with an electrolyte therebetween, the electrode layers alternating in polarity from a top electrode layer to a bottom electrode layer;an inactive surrounding support structure monolithic with the electrolyte and defining an outer surface of the device including a top surface, a bottom surface and opposing side surfaces, wherein the inactive surrounding support structure lacks the electrode layers in opposing relation and the active structure resides within the inactive surrounding support structure with at least one electrode layer of each polarity exposed at one of the opposing side surfaces;a first surface conductor on the outer surface in electrical contact with the exposed electrode layer of one polarity;a second surface conductor on the outer surface in electrical contact with the exposed electrode layer of the other polarity,wherein the first and second surface conductors are configured to have a designated polarity in use, wherein one or both of the first and second surface conductors extend onto the top or bottom surface, and wherein the polarity of the top electrode layer is the same as the designated polarity when one or both of the first and second surface conductors extend onto the top surface and the polarity of the bottom electrode layer is the same as the designated polarity when one or both of the first and second surface conductors extend onto the bottom surface to prevent polarity mismatches between the surface conductors and the electrode layers within the inactive surrounding support structure. 16. A fuel cell system comprising: a fuel cell device having a length between opposing first and second ends that is the greatest dimension whereby the device exhibits thermal expansion along a dominant axis that is coextensive with the length, an active heated region along a first portion of the length, an inactive cold region along a second portion of the length adjacent one or both of the opposing first and second ends, an inactive transition region along a third portion of the length between the first portion and the second portion, and an electrolyte disposed between an anode and a cathode in the active heated region, wherein the anode and cathode each have an electrical pathway extending to an exterior surface of the inactive cold region for electrical connection;a double wall furnace comprising an inner wall and an outer wall, the inner wall defining an inner chamber therein and the outer wall defining an outer chamber, wherein the fuel cell device is positioned with the first portion of the length within the inner chamber, the third portion of the length within the outer chamber, and the second portion of the length outside the furnace; anda first heating element coupled to the inner chamber for heating the active heated region to a temperature above a threshold temperature for a fuel cell reaction to occur therein;a second heating element coupled to the outer chamber and operable to switch between an off position where the inactive transition region has a temperature below the threshold temperature when the active heated region is above the threshold temperature and an on position where the inactive transition region has a temperature above the threshold temperature for cleaning gas passages within the inactive transition region;a control system coupled to the first and second heating elements and configured to switch the second heating element between the off and on positions based on one of a pre-determined cleaning schedule or a cleaning schedule triggered by real time measurements.
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