A fuel cell comprises an anode, a cathode, and a solid electrolyte layer disposed between the anode and the cathode. The solid electrolyte layer contains a zirconia-based material as a main component. A first intensity ratio of tetragonal crystal zirconia to cubic crystal zirconia in a Raman spectrum in a central portion of the solid electrolyte layer is greater than a second intensity ratio of tetragonal crystal zirconia to cubic crystal zirconia in a Raman spectrum of an outer edge.

An assembly includes a solid-oxide pack of the SOEC/SOFC type and a system for clamping the pack. The assembly furthermore includes a coupling system gastight at high temperature, including a clamping base with a first through internal pipe to enable a tube to pass, a support base located in the pipe and having a second through internal pipe, and a seal, having a C shape, positioned against a first end of the support base. One of the clamping plates includes a through pipe for gas to pass having a support surface for the seal and a threaded countersink for receiving a thread of the clamping base.

The invention relates to a method, an electrolyte membrane, and a corresponding electrolysis cell or an electrolysis stack for producing hydrogen and oxygen from water vapor using electric energy and/or a corresponding fuel cell or a fuel cell stack in order to produce electric energy using hydrogen and oxygen by means of a redox reaction of lithiated iron oxide iron which is dissolved in a liquid alkali carbonate salt. The membrane for splitting water vapor into hydrogen and oxygen consists, in the embodiment according to the invention, of a novel lithiated iron oxide electrolyte which is dissolved in a liquid alkali carbonate salt mixture, generally also referred to as a carbonate melt, which includes lithium carbonate among others. The electrolyte and the liquid carbonate salt are bonded in a heat-resistant non-conductive matrix, for example consisting of lithium aluminate LiAlO.sub.2 and/or another heat-resistant material with a capillary effect.

Disclosed herein is a liquid drum type fuel cell-metal recovery apparatus, which can produce power through electrochemical oxidation of coal by continuously receiving coal/metal oxide mixed particles.

The present invention provides a solid oxide fuel cell including a fuel electrode support including Ni-YSZ; a functional layer positioned on the fuel electrode support; an electrolyte layer positioned on the functional layer; an interlayer positioned on the electrolyte layer; and an air electrode layer positioned on the interlayer, wherein the functional layer includes gadolinium-doped ceria (GDC) nanoparticles dispersed.

A novel method to modify the surface of lanthanum and strontium containing cathode powders before or after sintering by depositing layers of gadolinium doped ceria (GDC) and/or samarium doped ceria or similar materials via atomic layer deposition on the powders. The surface modified powders are sintered into porous cathodes that have utility enhancing the electrochemical performance of the cathodes, particularly for use in solid oxide fuel cells. Similar enhancements are observed for surface treatment of sintered cathodes.

Provided is a method of manufacturing an anode core-shell complex for a solid oxide fuel cell, including (A) manufacturing a stabilized zirconia (YSZ) sol by using zirconium hydroxide (Zr(OH).sub.4) and yttrium nitrate (Y(NO.sub.3).sub.3.6H.sub.2O) as a starting material and distilled water as a solvent by a hydrothermal method, (B) agitating nickel chloride, stabilized zirconia in a sol state, and a surfactant, (C) adding sodium hydroxide (NaOH), (D) adjusting a pH to a range of 6 to 8, and (E) sintering the nickel-stabilized zirconia core-shell powder.

A solid oxide cell includes a solid oxide electrolyte, and a fuel electrode disposed on one side of the solid oxide electrolyte and an air electrode disposed on the other side thereof. The fuel electrode includes alloy oxide particles of nickel (Ni) and a heterogeneous metal alloyable therewith and a solid oxide electrolyte material, and when an atomic percentage (at %) of the heterogeneous metal to all atoms in a center region of the alloy oxide particle is M.sub.core and an atomic percentage (at %) of the heterogeneous metal to all atoms in a surface region of the alloy particle is M.sub.surface 10M.sub.core<M.sub.surface.

An intermediate layer containing CeO.sub.2 with which a rare earth element (excluding Ce) forms a solid solution and a first electrode layer may be disposed in this order on a surface on one side of a solid electrolyte layer containing Zr, and a second electrode layer may be disposed on a surface on another side opposite the surface of the one side of the solid electrolyte layer. The intermediate layer includes a first layer located closer to the solid electrolyte layer and a second layer disposed on the first layer and located closer to the first electrode layer, and a concentration of the rare earth element of the first layer may be greater than a concentration of the rare earth element of the second layer.

An energy conversion device for conversion of various energy forms into electricity. The energy forms may be chemical, photovoltaic or thermal gradients. The energy conversion device has a first and second electrode. A substrate is present that has a porous semiconductor or dielectric layer placed thereover. The substrate itself can be planar, two-dimensional, or three-dimensional, and possess internal and external surfaces. These substrates may be rigid, flexible and/or foldable. The porous semiconductor or dielectric layer can be a nano-engineered structure. A porous conductor material is placed on at least a portion of the porous semiconductor or dielectric layer such that at least some of the porous conductor material enters the nano-engineered structure of the porous semiconductor or dielectric layer, thereby forming an intertwining region.