Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Deformation Member Warpage Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Repetition of thermal cycles in solid oxide fuel cell apparatus leads to warpage of fuel cells due to differential thermal expansion, causing unreliable electrical contact between fuel cells and current collectors, as traditional solutions like flat springs fail to effectively adapt to deformation.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a cell-follow-up deformation member with a laminate structure of different thermal expansion coefficients to absorb and counteract warpage, ensuring consistent contact area between fuel cells and current collectors through differential thermal expansion and pressure deformation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If flat springs are used to press fuel cells, then electrical contact reliability is improved initially, but after thermal cycle repetition the springs lose elasticity and fail to maintain contact
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter of the pressing member from conventional metal flat springs to sintered metal material, which exhibits different mechanical properties including maintained elasticity after thermal cycling. This material parameter change allows the pressing member to retain its elastic deformation capability and continue maintaining reliable electrical contact throughout the service life under repeated thermal cycles.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs sintered metal material, which is a composite material formed by sintering metal particles. This composite structure provides both elastic properties for deformation and durability for long-term service. The sintered metal combines the advantages of metal elasticity with enhanced resistance to thermal fatigue, solving the problem of flat spring degradation under thermal cycling.
2Stress or pressure
If spherical portions of end plates are made rigid to maintain pressing force, then contact pressure is maintained, but the end plates cannot adapt to fuel cell deformation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the rigid spherical pressing portions with pressing members made of sintered metal that can dynamically deform. These pressing members are configured to elastically deform in response to fuel cell warpage while maintaining contact pressure. The dynamic adaptability allows the pressing force to be automatically adjusted according to the degree of fuel cell deformation, ensuring continuous reliable electrical contact.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the mechanical parameter of the pressing member from rigid to elastically deformable by using sintered metal material. This parameter change enables the pressing member to vary its deformation characteristic according to thermal cycle conditions, maintaining both adequate pressing force and adaptability to fuel cell warpage throughout the service life.
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
Enhances the reliability of electrical contact by dynamically adjusting the contact area between fuel cells and current collectors, preventing defective communication and maintaining consistent performance across thermal cycles.
Implementation Method 1
the anode of the fuel cells become warped. As a result, there arises a problem in that reliability in electrical contact between the fuel cells and the current collectors is impaired
Implementation Method 2
an elastic deformation of the flat spring absorbs a dimensional variation of each of the fuel cells
Implementation Method 3
Air is supplied to the cathode, and fuel gas is supplied to the anode, whereby the fuel gas and oxygen contained in air react chemically with each other via the solid electrolyte, thereby generating electricity
Data Source
AI summary
[Means for Solution] A solid oxide fuel cell apparatus including a fuel cell having a plate-shaped first solid electrolyte, an anode provided on one side of the first solid electrolyte and coming in contact with fuel gas, and a cathode provided on the other side of the first solid electrolyte and coming in contact with oxidizer gas. The solid oxide fuel cell apparatus further includes a cell-follow-up deformation member located on at least one of opposite sides of the fuel cell with respect to a first stacking direction along which the anode, the first solid electrolyte, and the cathode are stacked together. The cell-follow-up deformation member deforms according to a deformation of the fuel cell on the basis of at least one of physical quantities including differential thermal expansion coefficient and differential pressure.