ADVANTAGES:

• Inexpensive
• Structurally sound

APPLICATIONS OF TECHNOLOGY:

• Electricity production (e.g. solid oxide fuel cells)
• Electrolytic gas separation
• Electrolytic syngas production by partial oxidation

ABSTRACT:

Steven Visco, Craig Jacobson, and Lutgard DeJonghe have designed a cost-efficient, structurally sound technology for current collection and cell-to-cell interconnection of high temperature (>600 •C) planar electrochemical devices. Current collection is normally achieved using expensive metal oxides or metals such as platinum or nickel. Berkeley Lab's technology consists of a metal screen or metal felt made substantially of inexpensive ferritic steel coated with a thin oxide film, such as LaCrO₃. (FeCr-based alloys can also be coated with nickel and a catalyst can be added.) The thin-film coated metal screen is heated in an oxidizing atmosphere at temperatures in excess of 400°C and the film coating becomes oxidized. The thin film prevents excessive oxidation of the underlying metal while providing electrical connection between the metal and the electrode of the electrochemical device.

This invention allows planar-SOFC stacks to be pressed together with Ni-felt current collects on the anode side and metal-felt current collects on the cathode side. It is especially applicable to metal-supported devices but is also helpful for ceramic or cermet supported SOFCs. It is particularly useful for large cells (e.g. 1m x 1m plates) where the current path is long.

STATUS:

• U.S. Patent #6,740,441
• Available for exclusive or non-exclusive licensing within all fields of use with the following exception: only available for non-exclusive licensing within the field of use covering solid oxide fuel cells with electrical power output between 0.5kW and 40kW that are designed for installation as permanent fixtures in residential buildings and small commercial business facilities.

REFERENCE NUMBER: IB-1656

SEE THESE OTHER BERKELEY LAB TECHNOLOGIES IN THIS FIELD:

• Fail-Safe, Inexpensive Electrochemical Device Stack Design, IB-1658A
• High Quality, Dense Thin Films Using Metal/Metal Alloy Additives, IB-1654
• Improved Electrode-Electrode Structures for Solid State Electrochemical Device, IB-1405
• Inexpensive Production of High Density Thin Ceramic Films on Rigid or Porous Substrates, IB-1302
• Low Cost Fabrication of Thin-Film Ceramic Membranes for Nonshrinking Substrates, IB-1304
• Method for Making Flat, High Performance Thin Membrane Structures on Porous Substances, IB-1305
• Novel Support Structure for Ceramic Electrochemical Devices, IB-1418
• Support for Planar Solid State Electrochemical Devices, IB-1790
• Surface Additives for Enhanced Electrode Performance, IB-1406