Integral manifolding structure for fuel cell core having parallel gas flow

DETAILED DESCRIPTION This invention provides a solid oxide fuel cell having improved manifolding for fuel and oxidant gases flowing to the core and for the gaseous reaction products discharging from the core.
This invention relates to a solid oxide fuel cell having a core defining a plurality of elongated passageways for carrying fuel and oxidant gases.
Fuel flow passageways are defined each having only anode material on the inside face thereof, and oxidant flow passageways are defined each having only cathode material on the inside face thereof.
The cathode and anode materials are separated from one another in certain regions of the core by an electrolyte material to define an electrolyte wall across which electrical potential is generated; and the cathode and anode materials are separated from one another in other regions of the core by an interconnect material to define an interconnect wall across which the electrical potentials generated at the electrolyte walls are added together in series.
The anode and cathode passageways are oriented parallel to one another between spaced generally parallel interconnect walls and electrolyte walls angled back and forth between adjacent pair of the adjacent interconnect walls.
This invention specifically relates to the manifolding of the fuel and oxidant gases to the array of parallel anode and cathode passageways, respectively that open onto opposite side faces of the core.
Separator walls extend from the core side faces, each separator wall being disposed approximately midway between and parallel to the adjacent overlying and underlying interconnect walls to define manifold chambers therebetween on opposite sides of each intermediate separator wall.
Each angled electrolyte wall defining the flow passageways is shaped to blend into this intermediate separator wall, and thereby redirects the corresponding fuel and oxidant passageways to the respective manifold chambers either above or below this intermediate wall.
Inlet and outlet connections are made to these separate manifold chambers respectively for the fuel and oxidant gases and for their reaction products