Commissariat a L'energie Atomique Et Aux Energies Alternatives

Stephane Di Iorio

Magali Reytier

Guilhem Roux

Philippe Szynal

Thibault Monnet

Michel Planque

Olivier Gillia

André Chatroux

Bruno Oresic

Thibaud Delahaye

Bertrand Morel

Pascal Giroud

Cyril Rado

Thomas Donnier-Marechal

Karl Vulliez

Julien Petit

The invention relates to a system able to operate reversibly as an SOFC fuel-cell stack or as an SOEC electrolyser. According to the invention, a bypass line or circuit is provided in order to divert if needs be some of the hot gases issued from the chambers referred to as oxygen chambers (anodic chambers in SOEC mode, cathodic chambers in SOFC-stack mode) as this will cool the heat exchanger provided in the circuit through which the oxygen flows.

System for regulating the temperature and pressure of a high-temperature electrolyser (SOEC) reversibly operating as a fuel cell stack (SOFC)

The invention relates to arranging a new seal within a porous substrate which forms the contact element of each hydrogen circulating electrode, such as the cathode for an SOEC reactor and the anode for an SOFC fuel cell, and in the periphery of the electrode beyond the ducts for supplying and recovering gases, in order to force the gases to circulate into the only useful zone of the cell which corresponds to the electrochemically active surface of the electrode. Thus, all of the gases supplied can be converted.

Water electrolysis reactor (SOEC) or fuel cell (SOFC) with an increased rate of water vapour use or fuel use, respectively

The invention relates to a method of fabricating a contact element in an electrochemical device () such as an SOFC or an EHT which comprises the following steps: a) use is made of: at least one cell () consisting of an assemblage made up of an electrode to be hydrogenated ()-electrolyte ()-electrode to be oxygenated (); at least one first interconnector (); and at least one second interconnector (); b) at least one layer of a conducting material is deposited on the first interconnector () and/or the second interconnector (); c) an electrochemical device () is assembled; said method being characterized in that: d) a thermomechanical treatment is carried out on the electrochemical device obtained on completion of step c). The invention also relates to an electrochemical device () equipped with at least one contact element () obtained according to this fabrication method.

Method of fabricating contact elements in an electrochemical device such as SOFC or EHT

An electrolyte plate for an electrochemical system including a first face and a second face, being opposite each other, of largest surface area, the first face including linear parallel ribs and the second face including linear parallel ribs. The plate thus exhibits an increased rigidity without substantially increasing the thickness thereof.

Electrolyte plate with increased rigidity, and electrochemical system comprising such an electrolyte plate

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Lans en Vercors, France

Stephane Di Iorio