Solid oxide fuel cell device and system

摘要

The invention provides tubular solid oxide fuel cell devices and a fuel cell system incorporating a plurality of the fuel devices, each device including an elongate tube having a reaction zone for heating to an operating reaction temperature, and at least one cold zone that remains at a low temperature below the operating reaction temperature when the reaction zone is heated. An electrolyte is disposed between anodes and cathodes in the reaction zone, and the anode and cathode each have an electrical pathway extending to an exterior surface in a cold zone for electrical connection at low temperature. In one embodiment, the tubular device is a spiral rolled structure, and in another embodiment, the tubular device is a concentrically arranged device. The system further includes the devices positioned with their reaction zones in a hot zone chamber and their cold zones extending outside the hot zone chamber. A heat source is coupled to the hot zone chamber to heat the reaction zones to the operating reaction temperature, and fuel and air supplies are coupled to the tubes in the cold zones.

主权项

1. A solid oxide fuel cell device comprising:
an elongate ceramic tube having an exterior circumferential surface, an interior circumferential surface, and an interior structure therebetween, and having a tube length defined between a first tube end and an opposing second tube end, a first cold end region adjacent the first tube end, a second cold end region adjacent the second tube end, and a reaction zone between the first and second cold end regions, wherein the reaction zone is configured to be exposed to a heat source to heat the reaction zone to an operating reaction temperature, and the first and second cold end regions are configured to not be exposed to the heat source to remain at a low temperature below the operating reaction temperature; a plurality of spaced, concentric annular fuel passages extending within the interior structure from the first tube end at least partially through the reaction zone toward the second tube end; a plurality of spaced, concentric annular oxidizer passages extending within the interior structure from the second tube end at least partially through the reaction zone toward the second tube end in alternating and concentric relation to the plurality of fuel passages; a fuel outlet in one of the reaction zone or the second cold end region extending from an innermost one of the plurality of fuel passages to the exterior circumferential surface of the elongate ceramic tube and being fluidically open to each of the plurality of fuel passages and fluidically closed to the plurality of oxidizer passages; an oxidizer outlet in one of the reaction zone or the first cold end region extending from an innermost one of the plurality of oxidizer passages to the exterior circumferential surface of the elongate ceramic tube and being fluidically open to each of the plurality of oxidizer passages and fluidically closed to the plurality of fuel passages; an anode lining each of the plurality of fuel passages in the reaction zone and the first cold end region and electrically coupled to a first exterior contact surface on the elongate ceramic tube in the first cold end region; a cathode lining each of the plurality of oxidizer passages in the reaction zone and the second cold end region and electrically coupled to a second exterior contact surface on the elongate ceramic tube in the second cold end region; and an annular solid electrolyte layer between each of adjacent fuel and oxidizer passages separating opposing anodes and cathodes.