EP0055016A1
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EP
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High temperature solid electrolyte fuel cell configurations
Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp
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Filing: 1981-10-30
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2001-10-30
Abstract
Abstract High temperature fuel cell configurations and interconnections including annular cells (12) having a solid electrolyte (30) sandwiched between thin film electrodes (28, 36). The cells (12) are electrically interconnected along an elongated axial outer surface through an electrically conductive interconnect (34, 40). With this arrangement, ohmic losses are small since the current is directed from one cell to another through a short path which is normal to the annular surface. Another advantage is an increased reliability since electrical connection is through an elongated surface spanning the length of the cell and hence localized failure will not defeat current transfer.
Inventors
- 👤 Otto Arnold Isenberg
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 17:31
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01M; H01M8/00; H01M8/24; H01M8/241; H01M8/2425; H01M8/243; H01M8/2465; H01M8/02; H01M8/0202; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E60/00; Y02E60/10; Y02E60/30; Y02E60/50
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
113 words
A high-temperature, solid electrolyte electrochemical cell configuration (10) comprising a plurality of elongated annular cells (12), each cell (12) having inner and outer annular electrodes (28,'36) with an electrolyte (30) therebetween, characterized in that said outer electrode (36) and electrolyte (30) are broken to contain an electrically conductive interconnect (34) adjacent a selected segment (32) of said inner electrode (28), said interconnect (34) extending a selected axial length along each said cell (12), a first and a second cell (12) positioned adjacent one another and electrically connected in series between the inner electrode (28) of said first cell and the outer electrode (36) of said second cell through said electrically conductive interconnect (34).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
113 words
A high-temperature, solid electrolyte electrochemical cell configuration (10) comprising a plurality of elongated annular cells (12), each cell (12) having inner and outer annular electrodes (28,'36) with an electrolyte (30) therebetween, characterized in that said outer electrode (36) and electrolyte (30) are broken to contain an electrically conductive interconnect (34) adjacent a selected segment (32) of said inner electrode (28), said interconnect (34) extending a selected axial length along each said cell (12), a first and a second cell (12) positioned adjacent one another and electrically connected in series between the inner electrode (28) of said first cell and the outer electrode (36) of said second cell through said electrically conductive interconnect (34).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
52 words
The electrochemical cell configuration of claim 1 further comprising a current collector (18) in electrical contact with the first of said cells (12) in series, along said selected axial length, and another current collector (20) in electrical contact with the last of said cells (12) in series along said selected axial length.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
27 words
The electrochemical cell configuration of claim 1 wherein an electrically conductive insert (40) is provided between said first and second cells (12) and comprises a metal felt.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
32 words
The electrochemical cell configuration of claim 1 wherein each said cell (12) includes a plurality of segments (44, 46, 48), said segments of a cell (12) being electrically segmented from one another.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
36 words
The electrochemical cell of claim 1, 2, 3 or 4 wherein said first and a third cell (12) are electrically connected to one another in parallel, from the outer electrode (36) of said first cell (12).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
24 words
The electrochemical cell configuration of claim 5 further comprising a current collecting plate (56) in electrical contact with said first and third cells (12).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
85 words
The electrochemical cell configuration of claim 5 or 6 wherein said adjacent cells (12) are arranged in rows and columns, the fuel cells (12) in each row (52) being electrically connected to one another in parallel, whereby each cell (12) in a row (52) operates at a similar voltage, and the fuel cells (12) in each column (54) being electrically connected in series to the fuel cells (12) in the next row along a column, whereby voltage changes from row to row along a column.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
66 words
The electrochemical cell configuration of claim 7 wherein said rows (52) include a first row (52') and a last row (52' * '), and further comprising a first current collecting plate (56) in electrical contact with each said fuel cell (12) of said first row and a second current collecting plate (56) in electrical contact with each said fuel cell (12) of said last row (52''').
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USRE28792E
Cited
US4204033A
Cited
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