A solid oxide fuel cell including a hydrocarbon reforming catalyst and a method for forming the solid oxide fuel cell are provided. An exemplary solid oxide fuel cell includes a cell. The cell includes a filled metal substrate including holes substantially filled with a permeable material that includes a hydrocarbon reforming catalyst, wherein the filled metal substrate has a front facing a fuel flow and a back facing an electrochemical stack. A permeable layer is formed on the back of the filled metal substrate that is in contact with the permeable material of the filled holes. The cell includes an anode layer proximate to the permeable layer, an electrolyte layer proximate to the anode layer, a diffusion barrier proximate to the anode layer, and a cathode proximate to the diffusion barrier.

A topping cycle fuel cell unit includes a support plate having internal flow passages that extend to combustion outlets, a first electrode layer, an electrolyte layer, and a second electrode layer. The second electrode layer is configured to be coupled to another support plate of another fuel cell unit. The internal flow passages are configured to receive and direct air across the first electrolyte layer or the second electrolyte layer and to receive and direct fuel across another of the first electrolyte layer or the second electrolyte layer such that the first electrode layer, the electrolyte layer, and the second electrode layer create electric current. The internal flow passages are configured to direct at least some of the air and at least some of the fuel to the combustion outlets where the at least some air and the at least some fuel is combusted.

An electrochemical cell according to an embodiment includes a hydrogen electrode, an electrolyte laminated on the hydrogen electrode, a barrier-layer laminated on the electrolyte, and an oxygen electrode laminated on the barrier-layer. The barrier-layer has a porous structure having a thickness of greater than 20 μm and a porosity of greater than 10%.

A solid oxide fuel cell includes: a support layer mainly composed of a metal; an anode supported by the support; and a mixed layer interposed between the support and the anode, wherein the anode includes an electrode bone structure composed of a ceramic material containing a first oxide having electron conductivity and a second oxide having oxygen ion conductivity, and the mixed layer has a structure in which a metallic material and a ceramic material are mixed.

A method of manufacturing a proton-conducting fuel cell includes assembling a green anode-electrolyte half-cell by forming an anode substrate layer having an upper surface and a lower surface, forming an anode functional layer on the upper surface of the anode substrate layer, forming an electrolyte layer on an upper surface of the anode functional layer, and forming a stress balancing layer on the lower surface of the anode substrate layer. The method further includes positioning the green anode-electrolyte half-cell on kiln furniture inside a sintering kiln and sintering the green anode-electrolyte half-cell using SSRS to an anode-electrolyte half-cell.

A method of manufacturing a proton-conducting fuel cell includes assembling a green anode-electrolyte half-cell by forming an anode substrate layer having an upper surface and a lower surface, forming an anode functional layer on the upper surface of the anode substrate layer, forming an electrolyte layer on an upper surface of the anode functional layer, and forming a stress balancing layer on the lower surface of the anode substrate layer. The method further includes positioning the green anode-electrolyte half-cell on kiln furniture inside a sintering kiln and sintering the green anode-electrolyte half-cell using SSRS to an anode-electrolyte half-cell.

Catalysts comprising nanostructured elements comprising microstructured whiskers having an outer surface at least partially covered by a catalyst material comprising at least 90 atomic percent collectively Pt, Ni, and Cr, wherein the Pt is present in a range from 32.4 to 35.8 atomic percent, the Ni is present in a range from 57.7 to 63.7 atomic percent, and the Cr is present in a range from 0.5 to 10.0 atomic percent, and wherein the total atomic percent of Pt, Ni, and Cr equals 100. Catalyst described herein are useful, for example, in fuel cell membrane electrode assemblies.

A cathode having a tandem electrocatalyst structure is provided. The cathode includes a plurality of wires spaced apart from each other, a layer formed on a surface of each of the plurality of wires, and a plurality of nanoparticles disposed on the layer. Each of the plurality of wires includes a first perovskite material or a metal. The layer includes a second perovskite material. Each of the nanoparticles includes a metal oxide.

A method of forming a fuel cell catalyst system, the method includes providing an anticorrosive, conductive catalyst support material having oxygen vacancies and a formula (I):
MgTi.sub.2O.sub.5-δ  (I),
where .sub.δ is any number between 0 and 3 optionally including a fractional part denoting the oxygen vacancies, coating the catalyst support material with a polymeric film, attaching a catalyst material onto the polymeric film, removing the polymeric film, and providing additional material onto the support material to increase physical, electrical, and/or mechanical contact between the catalyst material and the catalyst support material.

A topping cycle fuel cell unit includes a support plate having internal flow passages that extend to combustion outlets, a first electrode layer, an electrolyte layer, and a second electrode layer. The second electrode layer is configured to be coupled to another support plate of another fuel cell unit. The internal flow passages are configured to receive and direct air across the first electrolyte layer or the second electrolyte layer and to receive and direct fuel across another of the first electrolyte layer or the second electrolyte layer such that the first electrode layer, the electrolyte layer, and the second electrode layer create electric current. The internal flow passages are configured to direct at least some of the air and at least some of the fuel to the combustion outlets where the at least some air and the at least some fuel is combusted.