Hexis Ag

Sulzer Hexis Ag

Cerion Ag

Gilles Robert

Emad Batawi

Andreas Franz-Josef Kaiser

The structured body intended for use for an anode () in fuel cells, includes a structure formed by macro-pores and an electrode material. The macro-pores form communicating spaces which are produced by using pore forming materials. The electrode material includes skeleton-like or net-like connected structures of particles which are connected by sintering and which form two reticular systems which interengage: a first reticular system made of ceramic material and a second reticular system which contains metals to effect an electrical conductivity. The electrode material has the properties so that, with a multiple change between oxidizing and reducing conditions, substantially no major property changes occur in the ceramic reticular system, and an oxidization or reduction of the metals occurs in the second reticular system.

Structured body for an anode used in fuel cells

Porous structured body for a fuel cell anode

Anode material for a fuel cell which is to be operated at a high temperature above 700&#xb0; C., which anode material is a porous composite material with a heterogeneous phase of solid materials which is formed by two reticular systems which penetrate each other in interlaced manner of particles connected by sintering, namely a first reticular system of ceramic material, and also a second reticular system of metallic material for the purpose of bringing about redox processes and an electrical conductivity, characterized in that the first reticular system is composed of large and small ceramic particles () with average diameters dgreater than 5 &#x3bc;m or smaller than 1 &#x3bc;m respectively, in that 50% to 80% of the first reticular system is formed from the large ceramic particles (), and in that a composition of the anode material to be used is given by values which are selected by means of samples of this material and a test method, wherein the test method includes at least one redox cycle, an irreversible change in length of the selected sample adopting in this a value smaller than 0.002, preferably smaller than 0.0005, and the following measurements and evaluations being carried out per redox cycle at a temperature which is at least the same as the operating temperature of the fuel cell:

Anode material for a high temperature fuel cell

A power source with miniaturized SOFC fuel cells has: a stack () made up of the fuel cells (), the volume of which is less than 10m; a channel system () in which reactants, namely gaseous fuel () and also air (), can be fed to the cells () and the fuel that is partially depleted in the cells is subjected to afterburning; a casing () and a heat exchanger () where supplied air can be heated up with the exhaust gas () from the afterburning. The fuel cells contain a disc-shaped solid electrolyte () which in addition to ion conducting components also includes electron conducting components which cause an ohmic loss. In this way the quantity ratio of these components is so designed that in an idling operation of the power source a heat flow from the cells to the environment can be compensated by the ohmic loss.

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Zurich, Switzerland

Gilles Robert