Fuel cell multi cell layer/welding process

• Main Authors: Jonathan Tunbridge, Alan Robertson, Diana Duarte, Jon Harman, Andrew Ballard, Tomasz Domanski, Adam Brunton
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 20.03.2019
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; ELECTRICITY; PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSIONOF CHEMICAL INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY

The present invention relates to an improved metal supported solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) unit, fuel cell stacks, fuel cell stack assemblies, and methods of manufacture. The metal-supported SOFC unit 1 comprises a metal spacer 30 disposed between a plurality of metal substrate plates 70a, 70b and a metal interconnect plate 20, at least one SOFC 79 being disposed on an opposite surface 72 of the metal substrate plates from the metal spacer, wherein the metal spacer comprises a plurality of cut-out portions 40a, 40b which wholly overlap a respective metal substrate plate. At least two blanking plates 50a, 50b are also provided, which are preferably located at each end of the plurality of metal substrate plates 70a, 70b to form a metal substrate member 65. Fuel and oxidant inlet and outlet ports 24, 34a/b, 54 are preferably located in end portions of the metal interconnect, metal spacer and blanking plates. The interconnect plate preferably includes dimples (110, figure 6) and elongate bridge dimples (120, 121, figure 6) for defining a fluid flow path through the SOFC unit.