Versa Power Systems Ltd

Anthony Wood

Zheng Tang

Tahir Joia

David Waldbillig

Xinge Zhang

Michel Anthony Riou

Hongpeng He

Sofiane Benhaddad

Kyle Marcotte

Michel Riou

David Waldbilling

The present technology is directed to a solid oxide cell that may be used as a solid oxide fuel cell or a solid oxide electrolyser cell. The solid oxide cell is configured to avoid deformation caused by differential shrinking via incorporation of an oxygen barrier layer which mitigates the damage caused by the introduction of an oxidizing environment in the anode cavity during the operation of the solid oxide cell as a solid oxide fuel cell.

Redox mitigating solid oxide cell compositions

A method of manufacturing a proton-conducting fuel cell includes assembling a green anode-electrolyte half-cell by forming an anode substrate layer having an upper surface and a lower surface, forming an anode functional layer on the upper surface of the anode substrate layer, forming an electrolyte layer on an upper surface of the anode functional layer, and forming a stress balancing layer on the lower surface of the anode substrate layer. The method further includes positioning the green anode-electrolyte half-cell on kiln furniture inside a sintering kiln and sintering the green anode-electrolyte half-cell using SSRS to an anode-electrolyte half-cell.

Proton-conducting ceramic fuel cell architecture

In embodiments, a fuel cell stack is provided that includes an interconnect between a first fuel cell and a second fuel cell, and a contact layer in contact with, and disposed between, an electrode of the first fuel cell and the interconnect. The contact layer may include a chromium-getter material. This chromium-getter material may consist of lanthanum oxide, lanthanum carbonate, and/or calcium carbonate.

Cathode contact layer design for preventing chromium contamination of solid oxide fuel cells

A solid oxide fuel cell having a plurality of planar layered fuel cell units, an electrically conductive flow separator plate disposed between each of the fuel cell units, and a cathode contact material element disposed between each cathode electrode of the fuel cell units and each electrically conductive flow separator plate. The cathodes of the individual fuel cell units are modified such that the operating temperatures of the cathodes are matched with the temperatures they experience based upon their locations in the fuel cell stack. The modification involves adding to the cathode contact material and/or cathode at least one alloying agent which modifies the temperature of the cathode electrodes based upon the location of the cathode electrodes within the fuel cell stack. These alloying agents react with a component of the cathode electrode to form alloys.

Cell materials variation in SOFC stacks to address thermal gradients in all planes

In some embodiments, a solid oxide fuel system is provided. The solid oxide fuel cell system may include a chromium-getter material. The chromium-getter material may react with chromium to remove chromium species from chromium vapor. The solid oxide fuel cell system may also include an inert substrate. The chromium-getter material may be coated onto the inert substrate. The coated substrate may remove chromium species from chromium vapor before the chromium species can react with a cathode in the solid oxide fuel cell system.

Systems and methods for preventing chromium contamination of solid oxide fuel cells

A solid oxide fuel cell, and methods for modifying the temperature thereof, the fuel cell having a plurality of planar layered fuel cell units, an electrically conductive flow separator plate disposed between each of the fuel cell units, and a cathode contact material element disposed between each cathode electrode of the fuel cell units and each electrically conductive flow separator plate. The cathodes of the individual fuel cell units are modified such that the operating temperatures of the cathodes are matched with the temperatures they experience based upon their locations in the fuel cell stack. The modification involves adding to the cathode contact material and/or cathode at least one alloying agent which modifies the temperature of the cathode electrodes based upon the location of the cathode electrodes within the fuel cell stack. These alloying agents react with a component of the cathode electrode to form alloys.

A multilayer contact approach for use in a planar solid oxide fuel cell stack includes at least 3 layers of an electrically conductive perovskite which has a coefficient of thermal expansion closely matching the fuel cell material. The perovskite material may comprise LaECoNiOwhere E is a alkaline earth metal and x is greater than or equal to zero. The middle layer is a stress relief layer which may fracture during thermal cycling to relieve stress, but remains conductive and prevents mechanical damage of more critical interfaces.

Electrically conductive fuel cell contact material

In a solid oxide fuel cell having an anode, a cathode, and a dense electrolyte disposed between the anode and the cathode, the cathode having a ceramic-ionic conducting phase of a plurality of ionic conducting particles and a metallic phase of a plurality of metallic particles. The metallic phase includes a metal alloy having an oxide-to-metal transition temperature in the range of about 600&#xb0; C. to about 800&#xb0; C. With this cathode, solid oxide fuel cell operating temperatures as low as about 600&#xb0; C. may be possible.

High performance cathode with controlled operating temperature range

A high temperature, redox tolerant fuel cell anode electrode and method of fabrication in which the anode electrode is pre-conditioned by application of an initial controlled redox cycle to the electrode whereby an initial re-oxidation of the anode electrode is carried out at temperatures less than or equal to about 650&#xb0; C.

Preconditioning treatment to enhance redox tolerance of solid oxide fuel cells

A multilayer contact approach for use in a planar solid oxide fuel cell stack includes at least 3 layers of an electrically conductive perovskite which has a coefficient of thermal expansion closely matching the fuel cell material. The perovskite material may comprise LaECoNiOwhere E is a alkaline earth metal and x is greater than or equal to zero. The middle layer is a stress relief layer which may fracture during thermal cycling to relieve stress, but remains conductive and prevents mechanical damage of more critical interfaces. A fuel cell stack is also disclosed, which comprises a plurality of planar interleaved fuel cells and interconnects comprising a contact layer disposed between at least one electrode of a fuel cell and an adjacent interconnect, the contact layer comprising a perovskite having the formula ABO&#x3c;sb&#x3e;3 where: (a) A is a doped or undoped rare earth metal or lanthanide; (b) B is a doped or undoped transition metal; and (c) wherein the perovskite is a electrically conductive and has a coefficient of thermal expansion which closely matches that of the fuel cell.

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Calgary, Canada

Anthony Wood