Abstract:
A multilayer ceramic capacitor, having a plurality of electrode layers and a plurality of substantially titanium dioxide dielectric layers, wherein each respective titanium dioxide dielectric layer is substantially free of porosity, wherein each respective substantially titanium dioxide dielectric layer is positioned between two respective electrode layers, wherein each respective substantially titanium dioxide dielectric layer has an average grain size of between about 200 and about 400 nanometers, wherein each respective substantially titanium dioxide dielectric layer has maximum particle size of less than about 500 nanometers. Typically, each respective substantially titanium dioxide dielectric layer further includes at least one dopant selected from the group including P, V, Nb, Ta, Mo, W, and combinations thereof, and the included dopant is typically present in amounts of less than about 0.01 atomic percent.
Abstract:
The invention relates to fuel cell devices and systems, and methods of using and making fuel cell devices and systems. The fuel cell devices include an elongate ceramic substrate, such as a rectangular or tubular substrate, the length of which is the greatest dimension such that thermal expansion is exhibited along a dominant axis that is coextensive with the length. A reaction zone is positioned along a first portion of the length for heating to an operating reaction temperature, and at least one cold zone is positioned along a second portion of the length for operating at a temperature below the operating reaction temperature. There are one or more fuel passages and one or more oxidizer passages extending within an interior solid support structure of the elongate substrate, each having an associated anode and cathode, respectively, which are separated by an electrolyte. The passages include a neck-down point.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a method of making fuel cell devices. Anode and cathode layers are applied on respective first and opposing second sides of a first portion of a first green ceramic layer, and a second green ceramic layer of thickness approximately equal to that of the anode and cathode layers is applied on a second portion of each of the first and second sides of the first green ceramic layer. A sacrificial layer is applied over each of the anode, cathode and second green ceramic layers, and a third green ceramic layer is applied over the sacrificial layers. The layered structure is heated to sinter all the layers and burn out the sacrificial layers. A pair of gas passages is thus formed with a thick sintered ceramic therebetween as a passive supporting portion and an anode, thin electrolyte and cathode therebetween as an active portion of the device.
Abstract:
A method of making a fuel cell device comprises forming a green stacked structure to provide an internal active section of intervening green layers of ceramic material separating anode layers from cathode layers and sacrificial layers of organic material adjacent each of the anode and cathode layers opposite the intervening green layers, and a non-active section of the green layers substantially surrounding the active section. The sacrificial layers are sized to provide internal gas passages in the active section for feeding gases to the internal anodes and cathodes, and the sacrificial layers are coupled to edges of the structure to couple each of the internal gas passages to an inlet and an outlet of the device. The green stacked structure is heated to bake out the organic material to form the passages and to sinter together the green layers in the active and non-active sections.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to a fuel cell system. A hot zone chamber has a wall thickness T and a heat source coupled thereto. An elongate fuel cell device is positioned with a first lengthwise portion within the hot zone chamber, a second lengthwise portion outside the hot zone chamber, and a third lengthwise portion of length T within the chamber wall. The third portion has a maximum dimension L in a plane transverse to the length where T≧½ L.
Abstract:
A monolithic or essentially monolithic single layer capacitor with high structural strength and capacitance, a printed circuit board having the capacitor mounted thereon, and a method of making. Sheets of green-state ceramic dielectric material and glass/metal composite material are laminated together, diced into individual chips, and fired to sinter the glass and the ceramic together. The composite material contains an amount of metal sufficient to render the composite conductive whereby the composite may be used for one or both electrodes and for mounting the capacitor to the printed circuit board. Vertically-oriented surface mountable capacitors and hybrid capacitors are provided.
Abstract:
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.
Abstract:
A solid oxide fuel cell device that includes an elongate substrate having a first end and an opposing second end with a length therebetween, a cold zone along a first portion of the length adjacent the first end, and a hot reaction zone along a second portion of the length adjacent the second end. The hot reaction zone is configured to be heated to an operating reaction temperature, and the cold zone is configured to remain at a low temperature below the operating reaction temperature. A fuel inlet and air inlet are each positioned in the cold zone and coupled to respective elongate fuel and oxidizer passages that extend through the hot reaction zone within the elongate substrate in parallel and opposing relation to respective fuel and air outlets adjacent the first end. An anode and a cathode are each positioned adjacent a respective fuel and oxidizer passage in the hot reaction zone within the elongate substrate and each is electrically coupled to a respective first and second exterior contact surface on the elongate substrate in the cold zone. A solid electrolyte is positioned between the anode and cathode, and negative and positive electrical connections are made to the respective first and second exterior contact surfaces. A fuel cell system is also provided incorporating a plurality of the fuel devices with their hot reaction zones positioned 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. Fuel and air supplies are coupled outside the hot zone chamber to the cold zones for supplying fuel and air flows into the respective fuel and oxidizer passages. A method of making a solid oxide fuel cell device is also provided in which fluid anode and cathode materials are flowed into passages followed by liquid removal to thereby form anodes and cathodes in the passages.
Abstract:
The invention provides a solid oxide fuel cell device and a fuel cell system incorporating a plurality of the fuel devices, each device including an elongate substrate the length of which is the greatest dimension such that the elongate substrate has a coefficient of thermal expansion having only one dominant axis that is coextensive with the length. A reaction zone is provided along a first portion of the length for heating to an operating reaction temperature, and at least one cold zone is provided along a second portion of the length that remains at a low temperature below the operating reaction temperature when the reaction zone is heated. An electrolyte is disposed between an anode and a cathode in the reaction zone, and the anode and cathode each have an electrical pathway extending to an exterior surface of the at least one cold zone for electrical connection at low temperature. The system further includes the devices positioned with their first portions 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. A connection is made to the electrical pathways of the anodes at the exterior surfaces in the cold zones, and a connection is made to the electrical pathways of the cathodes at the exterior surfaces in the cold zones.
Abstract:
A monolithic capacitor structure includes opposed and overlapping plates within a dielectric body, which are arranged to form a lower frequency, higher value capacitor. Other conductive structure is located either inside the dielectric body or on an external surface thereof and is effective to form a higher frequency, lower value capacitor in parallel with the lower frequency, higher value capacitor. The resulting array of combined series and parallel capacitors integral with the dielectric body provides effective wideband performance in an integrated, cost-effective structure.