Tubular solid oxide fuel cell stack

摘要

This invention relates to a fuel cell sub-stack comprising a plurality of tubular fuel cells, and a solid-state matrix in which the fuel cells are embedded. Each fuel cell comprises an inner electrode layer, an outer electrode layer, and an electrolyte layer sandwiched between the inner and outer electrode layers. The matrix is electronic or mixed (electronic and ionic) conductive, porous enough for a first reactant to flow through the matrix and to the outer electrode of each fuel cell, and strong enough to support the fuel cells in the stack. The fuel cells are embedded such that a second reactant may be flowed through the inside of each tubular fuel cell and to the inner electrode thereof. The sub-stack may be combined with other sub-stacks to form a fuel cell stack.