A fuel cell device with a rectangular solid ceramic substrate extending in length between first and second end surfaces where thermal expansion occurs primarily along the length. An active structure internal to the exterior surface extends along only a first portion of the length and has an anode, cathode and electrolyte therebetween. The first portion is heated to generate a fuel cell reaction. A remaining portion of the length is a non-heated, non-active section lacking opposing anode and cathode where heat dissipates along the remaining portion away from the first portion. A second portion of the length in the remaining portion is distanced away from the first portion such that its exterior surface is at low temperature when the first portion is heated. The anode and cathode have electrical pathways extending from the internal active structure to the exterior surface in the second portion for electrical connection at low temperature.

A fuel cell having an air electrode provided on one surface of a solid oxide electrolyte layer; a fuel electrode on the other surface thereof; and a separator 11 on the air electrode. A middle layer is further provided between the separator and the air electrode in order to suppress the diffusion of constitutional elements of the air electrode to the separator.

A fuel cell having an air electrode provided on one surface of a solid oxide electrolyte layer; a fuel electrode on the other surface thereof; and a separator 11 on the air electrode. A middle layer is further provided between the separator and the air electrode in order to suppress the diffusion of constitutional elements of the air electrode to the separator.

Fuel cell devices and systems are provided. In certain embodiments, the devices include a ceramic support structure having a length, a width, and a thickness with the length direction being the dominant direction of thermal expansion. A reaction zone having at least one active layer therein is spaced from the first end and includes first and second opposing electrodes, associated active first and second gas passages, and electrolyte. The active first gas passage includes sub-passages extending in the y direction and spaced apart in the x direction. An artery flow passage extends from the first end along the length and into the reaction zone and is fluidicly coupled to the sub-passages of the active first gas passage. The thickness of the artery flow passage is greater than the thickness of the sub-passages. In other embodiments, fuel cell devices include second sub-passages for the active second gas passage and a second artery flow passage coupled thereto, and extending from either the first end or the second end into the reaction zone. In yet other embodiments, one or both electrodes of a fuel cell device are segmented.

Fuel cell devices and systems are provided. In certain embodiments, the devices include a ceramic support structure having a length, a width, and a thickness with the length direction being the dominant direction of thermal expansion. A reaction zone having at least one active layer therein is spaced from the first end and includes first and second opposing electrodes, associated active first and second gas passages, and electrolyte. The active first gas passage includes sub-passages extending in the y direction and spaced apart in the x direction. An artery flow passage extends from the first end along the length and into the reaction zone and is fluidicly coupled to the sub-passages of the active first gas passage. The thickness of the artery flow passage is greater than the thickness of the sub-passages. In other embodiments, fuel cell devices include second sub-passages for the active second gas passage and a second artery flow passage coupled thereto, and extending from either the first end or the second end into the reaction zone. In yet other embodiments, one or both electrodes of a fuel cell device are segmented.

The invention provides solid oxide fuel cell devices and systems, each including an elongate substrate having an active end region for heating to an operating reaction temperature, and a non-active end region that remains at a low temperature below the operating reaction temperature when the active end region is heated. An electrolyte is disposed between anodes and cathodes in the active end region, and the anodes and cathodes each have an electrical pathway extending to an exterior surface in the non-active end region for electrical connection at low temperature. The system further includes the devices positioned with their active end regions in a hot zone chamber and their non-active end regions extending outside the chamber. A heat source is coupled to the chamber to heat the active end regions to the operating reaction temperature, and fuel and air supplies are coupled to the substrates in the non-active end regions.

The invention provides tubular solid oxide fuel cell devices and a fuel cell system incorporating a plurality of the fuel devices, each device including an elongate tube having a reaction zone for heating to an operating reaction temperature, and at least one cold zone that remains at a low temperature below the operating reaction temperature when the reaction zone is heated. An electrolyte is disposed between anodes and cathodes in the reaction zone, and the anode and cathode each have an electrical pathway extending to an exterior surface in a cold zone for electrical connection at low temperature. In one embodiment, the tubular device is a spiral rolled structure, and in another embodiment, the tubular device is a concentrically arranged device. The system further includes the devices positioned with their reaction zones in a hot zone chamber and their cold zones extending outside the hot zone chamber. A heat source is coupled to the hot zone chamber to heat the reaction zones to the operating reaction temperature, and fuel and air supplies are coupled to the tubes in the cold zones.

A fuel cell device is prepared by dispensing and drying electrode and ceramic pastes around two pluralities of removable physical structures to form electrode layers having constant width and a shape that conforms lengthwise to a curvature of the physical structures. An electrolyte ceramic layer is positioned between electrode layers, forming an active cell portion where anode is in opposing relation to cathode with electrolyte therebetween, and passive cell portions where ceramic is adjacent the active cell portion. The layers are laminated, the physical structures pulled out, and the lamination sintered to form an active cell with active passages in anodes and cathodes and passive support structure with passive passages in ceramic. End portions of at least one of the two pluralities of physical structures are curved away from the same end portion of the other of the two pluralities resulting in a split end in the fuel cell device.

A fuel cell device is prepared by dispensing and drying electrode and ceramic pastes around two pluralities of removable physical structures to form electrode layers having constant width and a shape that conforms lengthwise to a curvature of the physical structures. An electrolyte ceramic layer is positioned between electrode layers, forming an active cell portion where anode is in opposing relation to cathode with electrolyte therebetween, and passive cell portions where ceramic is adjacent the active cell portion. The layers are laminated, the physical structures pulled out, and the lamination sintered to form an active cell with active passages in anodes and cathodes and passive support structure with passive passages in ceramic. End portions of at least one of the two pluralities of physical structures are curved away from the same end portion of the other of the two pluralities resulting in a split end in the fuel cell device.

An electrochemical energy conversion device 10 comprising a stack of solid oxide electrochemical cells 12 alternating with gas separators 14, 16, wherein scavenger material selected from one or both of free alkali metal oxygen-containing compounds and free alkaline earth metal oxygen-containing compounds is provided in or on one or more of the negative electrode-side of the cell 12, the adjacent gas separator 16 and any other structure of the device 10 forming a gas chamber 66 between the cell and the gas separator. The invention also extends to the treated cell 12.