Provided are a metal plate configured such that sufficient strength and performance are ensured and the workability and cost of mass production are improved, and an electrochemical element and the like including the metal plate. A metal plate 1 includes a thick portion 110, and a thin portion 120 that is thinner than the thick portion 110. The thin portion 120 is provided with a penetration space 1c passing through the thin portion 120 in the thickness direction.

Provided are a metal plate configured such that sufficient strength and performance are ensured and the workability and cost of mass production are improved, and an electrochemical element and the like including the metal plate. A metal plate 1 includes a thick portion 110, and a thin portion 120 that is thinner than the thick portion 110. The thin portion 120 is provided with a penetration space 1c passing through the thin portion 120 in the thickness direction.

A porous body includes a framework having a three-dimensional network structure, the framework having a body including crystal grains including nickel and cobalt as constituent elements, the cobalt having a proportion in mass of 0.2 or more and 0.8 or less with respect to a total mass of the nickel and the cobalt, the crystal grains having a shorter grain diameter of 2 μm or more, as determined in a first observed image obtained by observing the body of the framework in cross section at a magnification of 200 times.

A porous body includes a framework having a three-dimensional network structure, the framework having a body including crystal grains including nickel and cobalt as constituent elements, the cobalt having a proportion in mass of 0.2 or more and 0.8 or less with respect to a total mass of the nickel and the cobalt, the crystal grains having a shorter grain diameter of 2 μm or more, as determined in a first observed image obtained by observing the body of the framework in cross section at a magnification of 200 times.

A manufacturing method for manufacturing a fuel cell includes a laser application step and a bonding step. In the laser application step, a laser beam is applied to a carbon film of a separator including a metal plate and the carbon film covering a surface of the metal plate such that the metal plate is exposed by removing the carbon film within an application range of the laser beam. In the bonding step, the separator is bonded to a resin member within a range including at least part of a range where the metal plate is exposed.

A manufacturing method for manufacturing a fuel cell includes a laser application step and a bonding step. In the laser application step, a laser beam is applied to a carbon film of a separator including a metal plate and the carbon film covering a surface of the metal plate such that the metal plate is exposed by removing the carbon film within an application range of the laser beam. In the bonding step, the separator is bonded to a resin member within a range including at least part of a range where the metal plate is exposed.

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a porous device, comprising a porous material, and a hierarchical network of flow channels defined in the porous material, wherein at least one flow channel in the hierarchical network of flow channels has a shape that at least partially approximates a cube-root profile or a quartic-root profile. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Described herein are solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), comprising anode-conductor seals and/or cathode-conductor seals used for sealing porous metal structures and controlling the distribution of fuel and oxidants within these porous structures. For example, a SOFC comprises an anode conductor, cathode conductor, and electrolyte, disposed between the anode and cathode conductors. The anode conductor comprises multiple porous portions (permeable to the fuel) and a non-porous portion. The SOFC also comprises an anode-conductor seal, forming a stack with the non-porous portion. This sealing stack extends between the electrolyte and current collector and separates two porous portions thereby preventing the fuel and oxidant migration between these portions. In some examples, the sealing stack forms an enclosed boundary around one porous portion of the anode conductor. In the same or other examples, another sealing stack is formed in the cathode conductor, e.g., surrounding a fuel port extending through the cathode conductor.

Described herein are solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), comprising anode-conductor seals and/or cathode-conductor seals used for sealing porous metal structures and controlling the distribution of fuel and oxidants within these porous structures. For example, a SOFC comprises an anode conductor, cathode conductor, and electrolyte, disposed between the anode and cathode conductors. The anode conductor comprises multiple porous portions (permeable to the fuel) and a non-porous portion. The SOFC also comprises an anode-conductor seal, forming a stack with the non-porous portion. This sealing stack extends between the electrolyte and current collector and separates two porous portions thereby preventing the fuel and oxidant migration between these portions. In some examples, the sealing stack forms an enclosed boundary around one porous portion of the anode conductor. In the same or other examples, another sealing stack is formed in the cathode conductor, e.g., surrounding a fuel port extending through the cathode conductor.

The present invention discloses a silicon plate, a method for producing a silicon plate, an application of silicon to a fuel cell, a fuel cell stack structure, a fuel cell, and an application of a fuel cell. The silicon plate is made of a doped conductive crystalline silicon material, and has an internal cooling medium flow channel, a front reducing agent flow channel, and/or a back oxidizing agent flow channel, and each of the internal cooling medium flow channel, the front reducing agent flow channel, and/or the back oxidizing agent flow channel is provided with a silicon plate inlet-outlet combination connected to thereof. Compared with a metal plate, a graphite plate, or a composite material plate in the existing technologies, the silicon plate provided in the present invention are more advantageous in service life, costs, efficiency, and power density, and therefore significantly drives mass industrialization of fuel cells.