Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Current Collector Elastic Biasing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing solid oxide fuel cell stacks face challenges in maintaining optimal gas sealing and electrical contact resistance, particularly at high temperatures, due to deformation and assembly errors, which affect power generation efficiency and durability.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating a membrane-electrode assembly with a pair of interconnectors, current collectors, and elastic bodies that bias the current collectors toward the electrode layers, allowing for displacement and maintaining electrical contact despite thermal changes, and arranging current collector protruding portions in a staggered manner to enhance gas distribution and reduce uneven power generation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a predetermined load is applied to the cell stack to maintain gas sealing properties, then gas sealing is improved, but electrical contact resistance increases due to deformation and assembly errors at high temperatures

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegas sealing propertiesVSAvoidelectrical contact resistance

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The current collector is designed with an elastic body (such as a spring) that allows it to dynamically adjust its position and maintain optimal contact pressure with the electrode layer. This dynamic adjustment compensates for thermal expansion and deformation, ensuring both gas sealing and low electrical contact resistance at high temperatures

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The elastic body changes its physical parameters (such as compression distance and contact force) in response to temperature changes and deformation, allowing the current collector to adaptively maintain proper contact pressure and electrical contact resistance under varying operating conditions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Manufacturing precision

If the current collector is made more elastic to reduce electrical contact resistance, then electrical contact resistance is improved, but gas sealing properties deteriorate due to excessive displacement

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveelectrical contact resistanceVSAvoidgas sealing properties

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The current collector is designed with different local properties: the contact portion with the electrode layer has high elasticity to reduce electrical contact resistance, while the sealing portion maintains appropriate rigidity to ensure gas sealing. This local differentiation allows both requirements to be satisfied simultaneously

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Productivity

If current collectors are arranged in a staggered manner to improve gas distribution, then gas distribution is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegas distribution efficiencyVSAvoidcurrent collector arrangement

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The current collector is divided into multiple segments or sections arranged in a staggered pattern, with each segment having protruding portions that direct gas flow to different areas of the electrode layer. This segmentation improves gas distribution efficiency while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This configuration maintains excellent performance and reduces electrical contact resistance, enabling efficient power generation and durability even at high temperatures by accommodating thermal expansion and deformation, while improving gas distribution and preventing local unevenness.

Implementation Method 1

an elastic body protruding portion supporting the abutting surface and protruding from the second base material surface toward the corresponding one of the pair of electrode layers to bias the abutting surface toward the corresponding one of the pair of electrode layers

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentUS11367890B2Solid oxide fuel cell and electrochemical cell

Publication Date: 2022.06.21 PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO LTD

AI summary

A cell including: a pair of interconnectors for electrically connecting unit cells; a membrane-electrode assembly disposed between the interconnectors; a pair of current collectors, each of which includes an abutting surface abutting against a corresponding one of the electrode layers and a first base material surface being in contact with a corresponding one of the interconnectors and electrically connecting the corresponding of the electrode layers and the corresponding one of the interconnectors; and elastic bodies biasing the abutting surface of at least one current collector toward a corresponding one of the electrode layers. The elastic bodies includes: a second base material surface being in contact with the first base material surface; and an elastic body protruding portion supporting the abutting surface and protruding from the second base material surface toward the corresponding one of the electrode layers to bias the abutting surface toward the corresponding one of the electrode layers.