US 12,126,064 B2
Metal support-type fuel cell and fuel cell module
Mitsuaki Echigo, Osaka (JP); Hisao Onishi, Osaka (JP); Noritoshi Shinke, Osaka (JP); and Yuji Tsuda, Osaka (JP)
Assigned to Osaka Gas Co., Ltd., Osaka (JP)
Appl. No. 17/040,469
Filed by Osaka Gas Co., Ltd., Osaka (JP)
PCT Filed Mar. 29, 2019, PCT No. PCT/JP2019/014222
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Sep. 22, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/189843, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 3, 2019.
Claims priority of application No. 2018-070210 (JP), filed on Mar. 30, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0028478 A1, Jan. 28, 2021
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H01M 8/1226 (2016.01); H01M 4/90 (2006.01); H01M 8/0637 (2016.01); H01M 8/2432 (2016.01)
CPC H01M 8/1226 (2013.01) [H01M 4/9041 (2013.01); H01M 8/0637 (2013.01); H01M 8/2432 (2016.02)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A metal support-type fuel cell configured as a fuel cell single unit, comprising: a fuel cell element in which an anode layer and a cathode layer are formed with an electrolyte layer interposed therebetween, a reducing gas supply path configured to supply a gas containing hydrogen to the anode layer, and an oxidizing gas supply path configured to supply a gas containing oxygen to the cathode layer, the fuel cell element is formed in a thin layer shape on a metal support formed in a plate shape and made of a gas impermeable material, an internal reforming catalyst layer provided on at least a part of an inner surface of the reducing gas supply path, the internal reforming catalyst layer configured to produce hydrogen from a raw fuel gas by a steam reforming reaction, and an internal reformed fuel supply path configured to discharge steam generated by a power generation reaction from the anode layer to lead the steam to the internal reforming catalyst layer, and to lead hydrogen produced in the internal reforming catalyst layer to the anode layer, wherein a plurality of bored through-holes penetrating from a front side to a rear side of the metal support are provided, the anode layer is provided with a thickness of 1 μm to 100 μm and in direct contact with one surface of the metal support and covers the plurality of bored through-holes, and the reducing gas supply path is provided along another surface of the metal support, wherein at least one metal separator configured to partition the reducing gas supply path and the oxidizing gas supply path is provided, the metal separator having an uneven corrugated section, the fuel cell single unit has a square box shape,
the reducing gas supply path is formed between the metal support and the metal separator, wherein a portion of the metal support and the metal separator are in direct contact, the oxidizing gas supply path is formed between the cathode layer and the metal separator of another fuel cell single unit in a stacked construction, a position where the internal reforming catalyst layer is provided is limited to a position which is the same as that of a through-hole on the most upstream side or a position on a downstream side of the through-hole in a flow direction of a reducing gas in the reducing gas supply path, and the internal reformed fuel supply path is formed by the plurality of bored through-holes and the reducing gas supply path communicating with the bored through-holes within the fuel cell single unit serving as a solid oxide fuel cell in-a the flow direction of the reducing gas in the reducing gas supply path.