Acumentrics Corporation

Nigel Sammes

Michael S Brown

Tracy Murray

Warren Ziegler

Michael Brown

A process for manufacturing a solid oxide fuel cell involves forming a tubular anode comprising an electrolyte substance and an oxide of an electrochemically active metallic substance without a distinct pore forming substance, sintering the tubular anode, forming an electrolyte onto the sintered anode, forming a cathode onto the electrolyte, and after forming the electrolyte and the cathode, reducing the oxide of the electrochemically active substance in the sintered anode to form pores in the anode.

Electrode-supported solid state electrochemical cell

A process for manufacturing a solid oxide fuel cell comprises, in one embodiment according to the invention: forming a plastic mass comprising a mixture of an electrolyte substance and an electrochemically active substance; extruding the plastic mass through a die to form an extruded tube; and sintering the extruded tube to form a tubular anode capable of supporting the solid oxide fuel cell. The process may further comprise, after sintering the extruded tube, layering an electrolyte onto the tubular anode; and, after layering the electrolyte, layering a cathode onto the electrolyte. In a further related embodiment, the process further comprises co-extruding more than one anode layer to form the tubular anode. Each of the anode layers may comprise a ratio of electrochemically active substance to electrolyte substance, with such ratios being higher for layers that are layered further from a surface of the anode that contacts a fuel gas than for layers that are layered closer to the fuel gas. Anode-supported tubular solid oxide fuel cells, which may be formed by such processes, are also disclosed. Additionally, electrode-supported oxygen pumps and oxygen sensors, and methods of manufacturing them, are disclosed.

A disclosed apparatus for generating electrical power has, according to one embodiment of the invention, a plurality of tubular solid oxide fuel cells contained in a reaction chamber. The fuel cells are secured at one end thereof in a manifold block, the other ends thereof passing freely through apertures in a baffle plate to reside in a combustion chamber. Reaction gases are supplied to the insides of the tubular fuel cells from a plenum chamber below the manifold block and to the reaction chamber surrounding the outsides of the fuel cells through an annular inlet path, which may include a reformation catalyst. The gases inlet path to the plenum chamber, and the annular inlet path surround the reaction chamber, are both in heat conductive relation with the reaction chamber and the combustion chamber, and raise the gases to formation and reaction temperatures as appropriate.

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Wrentham, MA, United States of America

Nigel Sammes