Toho Gas Co., Ltd.

Sumitomo Metal Mining Company, Ltd.

Sintokogio, Ltd.

Yasunobu Mizutani

Kenji Ukai

Hiroyuki Toya

Shoji Uchimura

Hirohide Ishiguro

Kouji Hisada

Shoji Futaki

Kazuhiro Ohta

Manabu Takatsu

Misuzu Yokoyama

A powder material for a fuel electrode of a solid oxide fuel cell is provided, along with a fuel electrode for a solid oxide fuel cell prepared by sintering the fuel electrode powder material, and a solid oxide fuel cell including the fuel electrode. The fuel electrode powder material includes a nickel based powder material containing at least one of nickel and nickel oxide and at least one of titanium oxide (IV) and a titanium source capable of changing into titanium oxide (IV) by heat treatment in air.

Fuel electrode material, a fuel electrode, and a solid oxide fuel cell

The present invention intends to provide a solid oxide fuel cell having a supported electrolyte film, which shows sufficiently high reliability, yields a high output, and exhibits high output power density per unit volume. The present invention is characterized by use of a first cermet comprising catalyst and a second solid electrolyte, which has a bending strength of more than 500 MPa and exhibits oxide ion conductivity, for a fuel electrode substrate in an SOFC having a supported electrolyte film equipped with an electrolyte-electrode assembly that is made by bonding the fuel electrode substrate and an air electrode on both sides of an electrolyte film consisting of the first solid electrolyte capable of exhibiting oxide ion conductivity. As a preferred embodiment, stabilized zirconia containing 2 to 4 mol % yttria or 3 to 6 mol % scandia is preferred for the second solid electrolyte. More particularly, an interlayer comprising the second catalyst and the third solid electrolyte, which shows oxide ion conductivity of more than 0.1 S/cm at 800&deg; C., is preferably interposed between the electrolyte film and the fuel electrode substrate.

Solid oxide fuel cell having a supported electrolyte film

A solid oxide fuel cell in which the catalytic activity of a fuel electrode is high and in which no poisoning by carbon occurs even when internal reforming is performed under a condition of a low S/C ratio and further in which the time course degradation of the fuel electrode is less when internal reforming is performed. In a solid oxide fuel cell having an oxide ion conductive solid electrolyte, and a fuel electrode and an air electrode connected to both faces thereof, a cermet of a catalyst and of the second solid electrolyte whose oxide ion conductivity is more than or equal to 0.2 S/cm at 1000 &deg; C. is used as the fuel electrode. More specifically, it is desirable that the second solid electrolyte is scandia-stabilized zirconia (ScSZ) containing 9 to 12 mol % of scandia. In addition, the second solid electrolyte may further be ScSZ containing yttria or ceria less than or equal to 2 mol %. Furthermore, the second solid electrolyte may be a composite material of ScSZ and alumina less than or equal to 2 wt %.

Solid oxide fuel cell

An apparatus for testing the thermal shock fracture strength of ceramics. The apparatus includes supporting means for supporting a ceramic test piece shaped as a rectangular parallelepiped at a first side surface thereof, force-detecting means for restraining a predetermined location of a second side surface of the ceramic test piece, the second side surface facing the first side surface, the force-detecting means and the supporting means restraining any deformation of the ceramic test piece when the second side surface of the ceramic test piece is heated, the force-detecting means being adapted to detect a force acting on the force-detecting means from the ceramic test piece, which tends to be deformed, but which deformation is restrained, means for moving the supporting means to press the ceramic test piece against the force-detecting means, and a heat-emissive element, which is an electric heater, for covering and heating the second side surface to cause a thermal shock in the ceramic test piece.

Method and apparatus for carrying out a thermal shock test on ceramics

Growing community of inventors

Tokai, Japan

Yasunobu Mizutani