Title of Invention

"AN ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATING SOLID OXIDE FUEL CELL ASSEMBLY AND A FUEL CELL STACK COMPRISED THEREOF"

Abstract An electrical power-generating solid oxide fuel cell assembly comprising: a) a packet element having an enclosed interior formed at least in part by one or more compliant solid oxide sheet sections; b) one or a plurality of anodes disposed within the enclosed interior and supported on an interior surface of a compliant solid oxide sheet section; c)one or a plurality of cathodes supported on an exterior surface of the compliant solid oxide sheet section at locations generally opposite the anodes on the interior surface; d) fuel delivery means for supplying a fuel gas to the enclosed interior; and e) electrically conductive means connected to the anodes and cathodes for drawing electrical current from the assembly.
Full Text The present invention relates to an electrical power generating solid oxide fuel cell assembly and a fuel cell stack comprised thereof.
[0001]— The present invention relates to solid oxide fuel ceils (SOFCs) and more particularly to designs for SOFCs wherein the electrical power generating elements comprise one or a plurality of self-contained packets connected to means for introducing gaseous fuel to the interiors of the packets and wherein the fuel cell anodes are disposed within the packets on flexible ceramic sheets forming at least portions of the packet walls.
[0002] A large number of tubular SOFC designs are known. These include long and/or flattened tube designs such as proposed by Siemens AG, zirconia tubes with banded stripes on them to form voltage building arrays as employed by the Mitsubishi Corporation, and multicell flattened tube designs as proposed by Rolls-Royce PLC.
[0003] Also known are a variety of SOFC designs utilizing planar electrolytes. These typically employ thick (0.10 mm) electrolyte plates and single anode and cathode electrodes for each plate. The repeating cell unit usually includes a massive current collector that also functions as an air/ fuel separator plate. The anodes of each cell face the cathodes of the next cell and the separator plate is required to keep the gaseous fuel and air from mixing.
[0004] Newer planar designs incorporate thick anode supported plates of 0.3-1 mm thickness supporting thinner electrolyte layers of about 5-50 microns thickness that provide higher single cell performance. These also use a repeating cell unit that usually includes a massive current collector - air / fuel separator plate. Again, the anodes face the cathodes of the next cell and the separator/ interconnect plate is required to keep the gaseous fuel and air from mixing. Reference may be made to Minh, N.Q., "Ceramic Fuel Cells", J. Am. Ceram. Soc, 76, 563-588 (1993) for a further review of these and other solid oxide fuel cells and manifold designs.
[0005] Recent developments also include fuel cell stack designs incorporating thin ceramic electrolyte sheets. U.S. Patent No. 5,273,837, for example, discloses a








WE CLAIM:
1. An electrical power-generating solid oxide fuel cell assembly comprising:
a) a packet element having an enclosed interior formed at least in part by one or more compliant solid oxide sheet sections;
b) one or a plurality of anodes disposed within the enclosed interior and supported on an interior surface of a compliant solid oxide sheet section;
c) one or a plurality of cathodes supported on an exterior surface of the compliant solid oxide sheet section at locations generally opposite the anodes on the interior surface;
d) fuel delivery means for supplying a fuel gas to the enclosed interior; and
e) electrically conductive means connected to the anodes and cathodes for
drawing electrical current from the assembly.
2. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein each compliant solid oxide sheet section supports a plurality of anodes and cathodes, and wherein the electrically conductive means include electrical conductor elements interconnecting the anodes and cathodes in electrical series or parallel.
3. An electrical power-generating assembly for a solid oxide fuel cell comprising:
a) a packet element having an enclosed interior formed at least in part by one or more compliant solid oxide sheet sections;
b) a frame element edge-supporting the solid oxide sheet sections;
c) one or a plurality of anodes disposed within the enclosed interior and supported on an interior surface of a compliant solid oxide sheet section;
d) one or a plurality of cathodes supported on an exterior surface of the compliant solid oxide sheet section at locations generally opposite the anodes on the interior surface;
e) a fuel delivery conduit through the frame element for supplying a fuel gas to the enclosed interior; and
f) electrically conductive means connected to the anodes and cathodes for drawing electrical current from the assembly.
4. An assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein the frame is a composite or laminate formed of at least two materials of differing composition or coefficient of thermal expansion.
5. An assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein the frame is composed of one or more metals and incorporates an oxide coating on all or a portion of the surface thereof, the coating being effective to decrease chromium transport to the anodes and/or the cathodes.
6. An assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein frame incorporates passive means for controlling thermal gradients within the packet element, said passive means including at least one of: (a) a recess in the frame into which a solid oxide sheet section is sealed; (b) frame edge portions overhanging adjacent peripheral edge regions of the solid oxide sheet section, and (c) an insulating material positioned against or proximate to a peripheral edge portion of the solid oxide sheet portion.
7. An assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein the peripheral edge of the solid oxide sheet is attached to a corrugated metal section of the frame element, the corrugated metal section incorporating a strain relief pattern selected from the group consisting of bi-axial, uni-axial, radial and concentric strain relief patterns.
8. An assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein the solid oxide sheet section incorporates corrugation for strain relief.
9. A fuel cell stack comprising a stacked plurality of electrical power-generating assemblies as claimed in claim 3.
10. A fuel cell stack as claimed in claim 9, further comprising at least one of: (a) external or internal manifolding incorporating gas-tight sealing elements interconnecting the fuel delivery conduits of the assemblies; and (b) manifolded air delivery conduits for supplying air to the stacked plurality of assemblies.

Documents:

01142-delnp-2004-drawings.pdf

1142-DELNP-2004-Abstract-(24-02-2011).pdf

1142-DELNP-2004-Claims-(24-02-2011).pdf

1142-delnp-2004-claims.pdf

1142-DELNP-2004-Correspondence-Others-(24-02-2011).pdf

1142-DELNP-2004-Description (Complete)-(24-02-2011).pdf

1142-delnp-2004-description.pdf

1142-DELNP-2004-Drawings-(24-02-2011).pdf

1142-DELNP-2004-Form-1-(24-02-2011).pdf

1142-DELNP-2004-Form-2-(24-02-2011).pdf

1142-delnp-2004-form1.pdf

1142-delnp-2004-form13.pdf

1142-delnp-2004-form2.pdf

1142-delnp-2004-form26.pdf

1142-delnp-2004-form3.pdf

1142-delnp-2004-form5.pdf

1142-DELNP-2004-GPA-(24-02-2011).pdf

1142-delnp-2004-pct-correspondence.pdf

1142-delnp-2004-pct-ib-304.pdf

1142-delnp-2004-pct-ipea-409.pdf

1142-delnp-2004-pct-ipea-416.pdf

1142-delnp-2004-pct-isa-210.pdf

1142-delnp-2004-pct-isa-220.pdf

1142-delnp-2004-pct-pamphlate-a2.pdf

1142-delnp-2004.jpg


Patent Number 249998
Indian Patent Application Number 1142/DELNP/2004
PG Journal Number 48/2011
Publication Date 02-Dec-2011
Grant Date 25-Nov-2011
Date of Filing 28-Apr-2004
Name of Patentee CORNING INCORPORATED
Applicant Address 1 Riverfront Plaza, Corning, New York 14831
Inventors:
# Inventor's Name Inventor's Address
1 DAVID M. LINEMAN 132 Hamilton Circle, Painted Post, NY 14870
2 DELL J. ST. JULIEN 3340 Townsend Road, Watkins Glen, NY 14891
3 MICHAEL E. BADDING 1057 Chatham lane, Elmira, NY 14905
4 JEFFREY E. CORTRIGHT 3380 College Avenue, Corning NY 14830
PCT International Classification Number H01M 8/10
PCT International Application Number PCT/US02/33686
PCT International Filing date 2002-10-22
PCT Conventions:
# PCT Application Number Date of Convention Priority Country
1 60/406,518 2002-08-27 U.S.A.
2 60/332,521 2001-11-21 U.S.A.