Abstract:
A method of manufacturing a solid oxide fuel cell stack (10) having an electrically conductive interconnect (28), including the steps of: (a) providing a first fuel cell and a second fuel cell, (b) providing a substrate having an iron-chromium alloy, (c) depositing a layer of metallic cobalt over a portion of substrate surface, (d) subjecting the layer of metallic cobalt to reducing conditions, (e) then exposing the remaining portion of the layer of metallic cobalt to oxidizing conditions for a predetermined time and temperature, such that the surface portion of the layer of metallic cobalt is oxidized to cobalt oxide, thereby forming the electrically conductive interconnect (28) having a layer of metallic cobalt sandwiched between a surface layer of cobalt oxide and the layer of cobalt-iron-chromium alloy, and (f) sandwiching the substrate between the first and second fuel cells.
Abstract:
A method of manufacturing a solid oxide fuel cell stack (10) having an electrically conductive interconnect (28), including the steps of: (a) providing a first fuel cell and a second fuel cell, (b) providing a substrate having an iron-chromium alloy, (c) depositing a layer of metallic cobalt over a portion of substrate surface, (d) subjecting the layer of metallic cobalt to reducing conditions, (e) then exposing the remaining portion of the layer of metallic cobalt to oxidizing conditions for a predetermined time and temperature, such that the surface portion of the layer of metallic cobalt is oxidized to cobalt oxide, thereby forming the electrically conductive interconnect (28) having a layer of metallic cobalt sandwiched between a surface layer of cobalt oxide and the layer of cobalt-iron-chromium alloy, and (f) sandwiching the substrate between the first and second fuel cells.
Abstract:
An interconnect system for connecting adjacent fuel cells in a fuel cell stack (26). The system comprises five elements: a separator plate (28) to provide an anode gas flow space (20) when joined to a mating cell frame (22); a first metal interconnect (30) disposed between the separator plate (28) and the anode surface (16); a nickel oxide paste (38) applied in a pattern over the surface of the anode (16) and adjacent surface of the separator plate (28) which when sintered results in a conductive layer bonded to the anode and to the separator plate; a second metal interconnect (35) disposed between the cathode surface (12) of the cell and the separator plate (28) of the adjacent cell cassette; and a silver-containing paste (36,39) applied over the surface of the cathode (12) and the separator plate (28) which when sintered results in a conductive layer bonded to the cathode (12) and to the separator plate (28).