APPLICATIONS OF TECHNOLOGY:

• Solid oxide fuel cells
  
• Gas separation membranes
  
• Electrochemical reactors

ADVANTAGES:

• Allows electrochemical membranes or cells of existing sizes to be used as larger cells or membranes
  
• Eliminates the need to make very flat plates with high tolerances at high costs
  
• Unit is sealed on the metal support instead of the fragile ceramic cells
  
• The electrochemical device can be manufactured separately from the support

ABSTRACT:

Craig Jacobson, Steven Visco, and Lutgard DeJonghe have invented a planar system for supporting electrochemical cells or membranes, effectively creating a larger cell. This design sidesteps the expensive proposition of manufacturing large, very flat, thin electrochemical devices.

In this invention, standard sized solid-state devices with dense, thin, electrolyte films are sintered onto perforated metal sheets, metal wire mesh, or porous metal with an interlayer of metal, metal alloy, cermet, or brazing material. The edges of the device are sealed via the metal support instead of the fragile ceramic device.

STATUS:

• Published Patent Application. Available for licensing.

REFERENCE NUMBER: IB-1790

SEE THESE OTHER BERKELEY LAB TECHNOLOGIES IN THIS FIELD:

• Fail-Safe, Inexpensive Electrochemical Device Stack Design, IB-1658A
• High Quality, Dense Thin Films Using Metal/Metal Alloy Additives, IB-1654
• Improved Electrode-Electrode Structures for Solid State Electrochemical Device, IB-1405
• Inexpensive Production of High Density Thin Ceramic Films on Rigid or Porous Substrates, IB-1302
• Low Cost Fabrication of Thin-Film Ceramic Membranes for Nonshrinking Substrates, IB-1304
• Metal Current Collector Protected by Oxide Film, IB-1656
• Method for Making Flat, High Performance Thin Membrane Structures on Porous Substances, IB-1305
• Novel Support Structure for Ceramic Electrochemical Devices, IB-1418
• Surface Additives for Enhanced Electrode Performance, IB-1406