A method of preparation and application for a glass ceramic sealing thin strip with high sealing performance, differing from using conventional glass ceramic packaging paste applied to the junction of the cell stack assembly and connecting plates. The glass ceramic sealing thin strip of present invention utilizes tape casting to produce a single layer or multi-layer stacking in accordance with the required thickness of the glass-ceramic sealing thin strip, and cutting the glass ceramic sealing thin strips from molds in accordance with the geometry of cell stacks with equal thickness of the glass ceramic sealing thin strip for SOFC cell stack assembly, aiming to overcome the setbacks of the conventional dispensing method with glass ceramic packaging paste that makes the thickness difficult to control, and to effectively improve sealing performance of the cell stack assembly and the power generation efficiency, and achieve commercial application with mass production.

A glass coating composition for a fuel cell gasket is described. The coating comprises: a glass component effective to form an alkaline solution in the presence of an equivalent amount of water by weight, a binder component, a liquid carrier which is greater than 50% by volume: water, and a retarder effective to inhibit hardening of the composition. The glass coating composition is particularly useful in fuel cell gaskets and provides improved resistance to solidification in an aqueous dispersion.

A glass coating composition for a fuel cell gasket is described. The coating comprises: a glass component effective to form an alkaline solution in the presence of an equivalent amount of water by weight, a binder component, a liquid carrier which is greater than 50% by volume: water, and a retarder effective to inhibit hardening of the composition. The glass coating composition is particularly useful in fuel cell gaskets and provides improved resistance to solidification in an aqueous dispersion.

In order to provide a sealing assembly for a fuel cell stack comprising a plurality of fuel cell units, which are arranged consecutively in a stacking direction, wherein each of the fuel cell units comprises a housing with at least one housing part made of a metallic material, which also has an adequate electrical insulation effect and an adequate mechanical strength at a high operating temperature of the fuel cell stack, it is proposed that the sealing assembly comprises at least one intermediate element made of a metallic material, wherein the intermediate element is soldered to a housing part of a first fuel cell unit at at least one location by means of a metal solder and is secured to a housing part of a second fuel cell unit at at least another location, wherein the intermediate element and/or the housing part of the first fuel cell unit is provided with a coating made of a ceramic material.

In order to provide a sealing assembly for a fuel cell stack comprising a plurality of fuel cell units, which are arranged consecutively in a stacking direction, wherein each of the fuel cell units comprises a housing with at least one housing part made of a metallic material, which also has an adequate electrical insulation effect and an adequate mechanical strength at a high operating temperature of the fuel cell stack, it is proposed that the sealing assembly comprises at least one intermediate element made of a metallic material, wherein the intermediate element is soldered to a housing part of a first fuel cell unit at at least one location by means of a metal solder and is secured to a housing part of a second fuel cell unit at at least another location, wherein the intermediate element and/or the housing part of the first fuel cell unit is provided with a coating made of a ceramic material.

A fuel cell cassette for forming a fuel cell stack along a fuel cell axis includes a cell retainer, a plate positioned axially to the cell retainer and defining a space axially with the cell retainer, and a fuel cell having an anode layer and a cathode layer separated by an electrolyte layer. The outer perimeter of the fuel cell is positioned in the space between the plate and the cell retainer, thereby retaining the fuel cell and defining a cavity between the cell retainer, the fuel cell, and the plate. The fuel cell cassette also includes a seal disposed within the cavity for sealing the edge of the fuel cell. The seal is compliant at operational temperatures of the fuel cell, thereby allowing lateral expansion and contraction of the fuel cell within the cavity while maintaining sealing at the edge of the fuel cell.

A fuel cell cassette for forming a fuel cell stack along a fuel cell axis includes a cell retainer, a plate positioned axially to the cell retainer and defining a space axially with the cell retainer, and a fuel cell having an anode layer and a cathode layer separated by an electrolyte layer. The outer perimeter of the fuel cell is positioned in the space between the plate and the cell retainer, thereby retaining the fuel cell and defining a cavity between the cell retainer, the fuel cell, and the plate. The fuel cell cassette also includes a seal disposed within the cavity for sealing the edge of the fuel cell. The seal is compliant at operational temperatures of the fuel cell, thereby allowing lateral expansion and contraction of the fuel cell within the cavity while maintaining sealing at the edge of the fuel cell.

A fuel cell includes: a solid oxide electrolyte layer that has oxygen ion conductivity; an electrode layer that is provided on the solid oxide electrolyte layer; a separator that is provided on the electrode layer and is made of a metal material; and a sealing member that is provided from a circumference region of the solid oxide electrolyte layer to a circumference region of the dense metal layer, wherein the electrode layer, the separator and the sealing member demarcate at least a part of a gas passage, wherein at least a part of the sealing member is a mixed layer of a ceramic and a metal.

A fuel cell includes: a solid oxide electrolyte layer that has oxygen ion conductivity; an electrode layer that is provided on the solid oxide electrolyte layer; a separator that is provided on the electrode layer and is made of a metal material; and a sealing member that is provided from a circumference region of the solid oxide electrolyte layer to a circumference region of the dense metal layer, wherein the electrode layer, the separator and the sealing member demarcate at least a part of a gas passage, wherein at least a part of the sealing member is a mixed layer of a ceramic and a metal.

A fuel cell stack (11) includes a plurality of contiguous fuel cells (13), each including a unitized electrode assembly (15) sandwiched between porous, anode (22) and cathode water transport plates (18). In areas where silicone rubber (29) or other elastomer covers edges of the fuel cells in order to form seals with an external manifold (27), adjacent edges of the water transport plates are supplanted by, or augmented with, an elastomer-impervious material (34). This prevents infusion of elastomer to the WTPs which can cause sufficient hydrophobicity as to reduce or eliminate water bubble pressure required to isolate the reactant gases from the coolant water, thereby preventing gaseous inhibition of the coolant pump. A preformed insert (34) may be cast into the water transport plates as molded, or a fusible or curable non-elastomer, elastomer-impervious in fluent form may be deposited into the pores of already formed water transport plates, and then fused or cured.