The disclosure provides a SOFC comprised of an electrolyte, anode, and cathode, where the cathode comprises an MIEC and an oxygen-reducing layer. The oxygen-reducing layer is in contact with the MIEC, and the MIEC is generally between and separating the oxygen-reducing layer and the electrolyte. The oxygen-reducing layer is comprised of single element oxides, single element carbonates, or mixtures thereof, and has a thickness of less than about 30 nm. In a particular embodiment, the thickness is less than 5 nm. In another embodiment, the thickness is about 3 monolayers or less. The oxygen-reducing layer may be a continuous film or a discontinuous film with various coverage ratios. The oxygen-reducing layer at the thicknesses described may be generated on the MIEC surface using means known in the art such as, for example, ALD processes.

The present specification relates to a solid oxide fuel cell and a method for manufacturing the same.

A method for forming tubular solid oxide cells is described. The methods include co-extrusion of an electrode precursor and a sacrificial material to form a multi-layered precursor followed by phase inversion and sintering to remove the sacrificial layer and form an electrode substrate for use in a tubular solid oxide cell. Upon phase inversion and sintering of the precursor, a micro-channel array can be generated in the electrode that is generally perpendicular to the tube surface. The open pored micro-scale geometry of the porous electrode substrate can significantly reduce resistance for fuel/gas transport and increase effective surface area for electrochemical reactions.

Provided is an interlayer for a thin electrolyte solid oxide cell, a thin electrolyte solid oxide cell including the same, and a method of forming the same. In various embodiments, functional elements (a fuel electrode, an electrolyte and a cathode) of the solid oxide cell are formed by means of a thin film process, and thus a nanostructure of the catalyst is not seriously lost due to agglomeration, different from a powder process. Thus, it is possible to accomplish catalyst activation according to a high specific surface area.

A solid oxide fuel cell comprises a solid electrolyte layer, a barrier layer, and a cathode. The cathode includes a cathode current collecting layer and a cathode active layer. The cathode active layer includes a plurality of micro-cracks in a surface region within a predetermined distance from the interface between the barrier layer and the cathode active layer.

A solid oxide fuel cell comprises a solid electrolyte layer, a barrier layer, and a cathode. The cathode includes a cathode current collecting layer and a cathode active layer. The cathode active layer includes a plurality of micro-cracks in an interface region within a predetermined distance from the interface between the cathode current collecting layer and the cathode active layer.

Provided is a solid electrolyte made of yttrium-doped barium zirconate having hydrogen ion conductivity, a doped amount of yttrium being 15 mol % to 20 mol %, and a rate of increase in lattice constant at 100 C. to 1000 C. with respect to temperature changes being substantially constant. Also provided is a method for manufacturing the solid electrolyte. This solid electrolyte can be formed as a thin film, and a solid electrolyte laminate can be obtained by laminating electrode layers on this solid electrolyte. This solid electrolyte can be applied to an intermediate temperature operating fuel cell.

A direct-electrochemical-oxidation fuel cell for generating electrical energy includes a cathode provided with an electrochemical-reduction catalyst that promotes formation of oxygen ions from an oxygen-containing source at the cathode, a solid-state reduced metal, a solid-state anode provided with an electrochemical-oxidation catalyst that promotes direct electrochemical oxidation of the solid-state reduced metal in the presence of the oxygen ions to produce electrical energy, and an electrolyte disposed to transmit the oxygen ions from the cathode to the solid-state anode. A method of operating a solid oxide fuel cell includes providing a direct-electrochemical-oxidation fuel cell comprising a solid-state reduced metal, oxidizing the solid-state reduced metal in the presence of oxygen ions through direct-electrochemical-oxidation to obtain a solid-state reducible metal oxide, and reducing the solid-state reducible metal oxide to obtain the solid-state reduced metal.

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 active cell is prepared by dispensing first electrode sub-layers, pressing in physical structures to partially embed them in an uppermost sub-layer, and dispensing more first electrode sub-layers wherein dispensing is in order of increasing porosity, then drying the sub-layers to form a first electrode layer. An electrolyte layer is then formed thereon. Further preparation includes dispensing second electrode sub-layers over the electrolyte layer, pressing in physical structures to partially embed them in an uppermost sub-layer, and dispensing more second electrode sub-layers wherein dispensing is in order of decreasing porosity, then drying the sub-layers to form a second electrode layer. A laminated stack is formed, then the physical structures are pulled out. Sintering then forms the active cell with active passages embedded in and supported by the sintered electrode layers, and with decreasing porosity in the electrode layers in a thickness direction away from the electrolyte layer.