Fuel cell device and system

Abstract

Fuel cell devices and fuel cell systems are provided. The fuel cell devices may include one or more active layers containing active cells that are connected electrically in series. The active cells include anodes and cathodes spaced apart along the length, with each including a porous portion and a non-porous conductor portion. The active cells reside between opposing porous anode and cathode portions. The electrical series connections between active cells are made between the non-porous conductor portions. In certain embodiments, the electrical series connections are made by direct contact between the non-porous conductor portions. In certain embodiments, the electrical series connections are made by non-porous conductive vias or elements that extend through an intervening support structure that separates the non-porous anode conductor portions from the non-porous cathode conductor portions.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A fuel cell device comprising:
 a ceramic supporting structure having a reaction zone configured to be heated to an operating reaction temperature, and having at least a first active layer therein in the reaction zone;   a first active cell in the first active layer comprising a first cathode and a first anode that includes a first porous anode portion in opposing relation to the first cathode and a first non-porous anode portion;   a second active cell in the first active layer adjacent the first active cell and comprising a second anode and a second cathode that includes a second porous cathode portion in opposing relation to the second anode and a second non-porous cathode portion;   a ceramic electrolyte in the first active layer between the first anode and the first cathode and between the second anode and the second cathode;   wherein a first exterior surface of the first non-porous anode portion is physically and electrically connected to an opposed and adjacent second exterior surface of the second non-porous cathode portion within the ceramic supporting structure thereby connecting the first and second active cells in series in the first active layer.   
     
     
         2 . The fuel cell device of  claim 1 , wherein the ceramic supporting structure is an elongate substrate having a length that is the greatest dimension whereby the elongate substrate exhibits thermal expansion along a dominant axis that is coextensive with the length. 
     
     
         3 . The fuel cell device of  claim 2 , wherein the reaction zone is positioned along a first portion of the length, and wherein the ceramic supporting structure further includes at least one cold zone positioned along a second portion of the length configured to remain at a temperature below the operating reaction temperature when the reaction zone is heated. 
     
     
         4 . The fuel cell device of  claim 3 , wherein the first and second anodes and the first and second cathodes each have an electrical pathway extending to the at least one cold zone for electrical connection at the low temperature below the operating reaction temperature. 
     
     
         5 . The fuel cell device of  claim 1 , wherein the first non-porous anode portion is further in direct physical contact with the second non-porous cathode portion. 
     
     
         6 . The fuel cell device of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second active cells are spaced apart in the first active layer with the ceramic electrolyte extending continuously therebetween as an intervening support structure, and wherein the electrical connection is established by a conductive element extending through a slit in the intervening support structure between the first non-porous anode portion and the second non-porous cathode portion. 
     
     
         7 . The fuel cell device of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second active cells are spaced apart in the first active layer with the ceramic electrolyte extending continuously therebetween as an intervening support structure, and wherein the electrical connection is established by a conductive element extending through a slit in the intervening support structure between the first non-porous anode portion and the second non-porous cathode portion. 
     
     
         8 . A fuel cell system comprising:
 a hot zone chamber;   a plurality of the fuel cell devices of  claim 4 , each positioned with the first portion in the hot zone chamber and the at least one cold zone extending outside the hot zone chamber;   a heat source coupled to the hot zone chamber and adapted to heat the reaction zones to the operating reaction temperature within the hot zone chamber;   a negative voltage connection in the at least one cold zone in electrical contact with the electrical pathways of the first and second anodes; and   a positive voltage connection in the at least one cold zone in electrical contact with the electrical pathways of the first and second cathodes.   
     
     
         9 . The fuel cell system of  claim 8  further comprising:
 a fuel passage associated with each of the first and second anodes in each of the plurality of fuel cell devices, the fuel passage extending from the at least one cold zone through the reaction zone; 
 an oxidizer passage associated with each of the first and second cathodes in each of the plurality of fuel cell devices, the oxidizer passage extending from the at least one cold zone through the reaction zone; 
 a fuel supply coupled outside the hot zone chamber to each of the at least one cold zones in fluid communication with the fuel passages for supplying a fuel flow into the fuel passages; and 
 an air supply coupled outside the hot zone chamber to each of the at least one cold zones in fluid communication with the oxidizer passages for supplying an air flow into the oxidizer passages. 
 
     
     
         10 . A fuel cell device comprising:
 an elongate ceramic supporting structure having a reaction zone configured to be heated to an operating reaction temperature, and having at least a first active layer therein in the reaction zone extending lengthwise along the elongate ceramic supporting structure in a direction from a first end to a second end, wherein the first active layer comprises:
 a plurality of anodes spaced apart lengthwise along the first active layer, each including a non-porous anode conductor portion adjacent to and followed lengthwise by a porous anode portion in the direction from the first end to the second end; 
 a plurality of cathodes spaced apart lengthwise along the first active layer, each including a porous cathode portion adjacent to and followed lengthwise by a non-porous cathode conductor portion in the direction from the first end to the second end, 
   wherein the plurality of anodes and the plurality of cathodes are positioned in the direction from the first end to the second end with the porous anode portion of each of the plurality of anodes at least partially opposing the porous cathode portion of a respective one of each of the plurality of cathodes with a ceramic electrolyte therebetween to form a plurality of spaced apart active cells; and   wherein a first exterior surface of the non-porous cathode conductor portion of at least one of the plurality of cathodes is physically and electrically connected to an opposing second exterior surface of the non-porous anode conductor portion of the next adjacent one of the plurality of anodes in the direction from the first end to the second end within the elongate ceramic supporting structure thereby connecting the plurality of spaced apart active cells in series in the first active layer.   
     
     
         11 . The fuel cell device of  claim 10 , wherein the elongate ceramic supporting structure has a length from the first end to the second end that is the greatest dimension whereby the elongate ceramic supporting structure exhibits thermal expansion along a dominant axis that is coextensive with the length. 
     
     
         12 . The fuel cell device of  claim 11 , wherein the reaction zone is positioned along a first portion of the length, and wherein the elongate ceramic supporting structure further includes at least one cold zone positioned along a second portion of the length configured to remain at a temperature below the operating reaction temperature when the reaction zone is heated. 
     
     
         13 . The fuel cell device of  claim 12 , wherein the plurality of anodes and the plurality of cathodes each have an electrical pathway extending to the at least one cold zone for electrical connection at the low temperature below the operating reaction temperature. 
     
     
         14 . The fuel cell device of  claim 10 , wherein the electrical connections between the non-porous cathode conductor portions and the non-porous anode conductor portions are by direct physical contact. 
     
     
         15 . The fuel cell device of  claim 10 , wherein the first active layer includes a continuous intervening ceramic support layer with the plurality of anodes on one side and the plurality of cathodes on the opposing side spaced apart from the plurality of anodes by the continuous intervening ceramic support layer with the ceramic electrolyte being a portion of the continuous intervening ceramic support layer that resides between opposing porous anode portions and porous cathodes portions, and wherein the electrical connections are established by non-porous conductive vias or elements extending through the continuous intervening support structure between the non-porous anode conductor portions and the non-porous cathode conductor portions that are spaced apart by the continuous intervening support structure. 
     
     
         16 . A fuel cell system comprising:
 a hot zone chamber;   a plurality of the fuel cell devices of  claim 13 , each positioned with the first portion in the hot zone chamber and the at least one cold zone extending outside the hot zone chamber;   a heat source coupled to the hot zone chamber and adapted to heat the reaction zones to the operating reaction temperature within the hot zone chamber;   a negative voltage connection in the at least one cold zone in electrical contact with the electrical pathways of the first and second anodes; and   a positive voltage connection in the at least one cold zone in electrical contact with the electrical pathways of the first and second cathodes.   
     
     
         17 . The fuel cell system of  claim 16  further comprising:
 a fuel passage associated with each of the first and second anodes in each of the plurality of fuel cell devices, the fuel passage extending from the at least one cold zone through the reaction zone; 
 an oxidizer passage associated with each of the first and second cathodes in each of the plurality of fuel cell devices, the oxidizer passage extending from the at least one cold zone through the reaction zone; 
 a fuel supply coupled outside the hot zone chamber to each of the at least one cold zones in fluid communication with the fuel passages for supplying a fuel flow into the fuel passages; and 
 an air supply coupled outside the hot zone chamber to each of the at least one cold zones in fluid communication with the oxidizer passages for supplying an air flow into the oxidizer passages. 
 
     
     
         18 . A fuel cell device comprising:
 a ceramic supporting structure having a top cover portion and a bottom cover portion and having a reaction zone configured to be heated to an operating reaction temperature;   a continuous active layer comprising a first electrode layer separated from a second electrode layer of opposing polarity by a compositionally continuous ceramic electrolyte layer and extending in zig-zag fashion from a first end to a second end, the first end attached at or near the top cover portion and the second end attached at or near the bottom cover portion with an intermediate portion therebetween comprising active cell portions between first and second bend portions;   a first gas passage between active cell portions adjacent the first electrode layer and a second gas passage between active cell portions adjacent the second electrode layer,   wherein at least one of the first bends or the second bends are free from attachment to the ceramic supporting structure between the top and bottom cover portions.   
     
     
         19 . The fuel cell device of  claim 18 , wherein each of the first and second bends are free from attachment to the ceramic supporting structure. 
     
     
         20 . The fuel cell device of  claim 18 , wherein the first bends are free from attachment to the ceramic supporting structure and the second bends are attached to the ceramic supporting structure between the top and bottom cover portions. 
     
     
         21 . The fuel cell device of  claim 18 , wherein the first and second electrode layers each comprise a plurality of spaced apart electrodes positioned in opposing relation along the compositionally continuous ceramic electrolyte layer in the active cell portions with the first and second bends positioned at spaces between the spaced apart electrodes, and further comprising a plurality of conductive elements, wherein each conductive element is in physical contact with the first electrode of one active cell portion, extends through the compositionally continuous ceramic electrolyte layer in the adjacent first or second bend, and is in physical contact with the second electrode of the adjacent active cell portion thereby electrically connecting the plurality of active cell portions in series.