Planar fuel cell design

Schmitz et al. [25] demonstrated a planar fuel cell design based on printed circuit board (PCB) technology. This planar design consists of an open cathode side which allows a completely passive, self-breathing operation. Power densities of 100 mW cm" at 500 mV with hydrogen were achieved. Long-term operation for more than 1,500 h has been demonstrated. 

Most developers focus on a diffusion-driven air supply with air breathing cathodes. This can be realized by planar fuel cell designs, where the cells are not stacked, as in high-power fuel cells, but rather are oriented side-by-side in one plane (Figure 5.3). 

Australia Ceramic Fuel Cells Limited demonstrated a 5 kWe laboratory prototype fuel cell in 1997. Their system has thin sheet steel components as interconnects in a planar fuel cell design. They are scaling up to a 25 kWe pre-commercial stack module. 

FOIL TYPE MICRO FUEL CELL DESIGN Planar Design of PEMFC... 

Solid Oxide Fuel Cells, History, Fig. 2 Planar solid oxide fuel cell design... 

E ure 12.16 Different fuel cell designs, (a) Dual-chamber planar, (b) Tubular, (c) Single-chamber planar fuel cell. 

Figure 2.1 Schematic representation of two solid oxide fuel cell designs (a) planar ...

SOFC are produced with either tubular or planar stack configurations investments for planar design are a rough estimate, as no prototypes exist. Specific investments for PAFC are in the range 4000- 4500/kW (IEA, 2007). For further fuel-cell R D needs see IEA (2005). 

McDermott Technology, Inc., of Alliance, OH, developed a conceptual design of a high efficiency power plant system that joins planar solid oxide fuel cell technology with microturbine technology in a combined cycle. The system was operated at atmospheric conditions. 

One way to ease any difficulties that may arise in fabricating a membrane, especially in design configurations that are not planar, is to go membraneless. Recent reports take advantage of the laminar flow innate to microfluidic reactors ° to develop membraneless fuel cells. The potential of the fuel cell is established at the boundary between parallel (channel) flows of the two fluids customarily compartmentalized in the fuel cell as fuel (anolyte) and oxidant (catholyte). Adapting prior redox fuel cell chemistry using a catholyte of V /V and an anolyte of Ferrigno et al. obtained 35 mA cmr at... 

Planar SOFC, in particular, monolithic designs (MHI) are capable of high (volumetric) power densities most favoured by direct and short current paths across the stack components. The PEN is principally square, rectangular and circular (Ceramic Fuel Cells Limited (CFCL), Mitsubishi Materials Corp., SulzerHexis) in shape with active surface areas of 100-200 cm2 (15.5-31 in2). A drawback of this design is that it often necessitates the use of high temperature sealants for application at the in-... 

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