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Stack

R-design

General description Confi gurations

HTceramix provides its proper stack design based on the SOFConnex™ technology and HTc cells. The stack uses an internal manifolding through feeding holes and is fuelled in a counter-fl ow confi guration. HTc’s design allows a high compactness of the whole stack achieving a power density of up to 1500 W/L. Stack tests showed a homoge- nous behaviour of cells in polarization cycles and OCVs exceeding one volt/cell*. The use of the SOFConnex™ structu- re improves the thermal cycle tolerance of the stack, avoiding additional performance degradation during complete cycling.The stacks are operated with a power density of >0.4W/cm² at a temperature below 800°C. Electrical effi ciencies above 35% were regularly demonstrated*. The stacks can be fuelled with hydrogen, reformed hydrocarbons and synthesis gas mixtures.All the components are designed and conceived on low cost, environmentally safe manufacturing techniques based on scaleable wet ceramic processes.

The SOFConnex™

HTceramix has developed and patented the SOFConnex™, a unique and innovative gas diffusion layer. This component com-bines three elementary functions of the stack: It accomplishes current collection form the electrodes to the metallic intercon- nects, it manifolds the fuel between and on the cells and it seals the gases. The SOFConnex™ integrates the gas distribution on the cell, allowing the use of thin, unmachined metallic sheets instead of expensive, structured bi-polar plates. In assembly, the green ceramic-to-ceramic contact avoids rigid metal-to-ceramic interfaces, potential source of cell breaks. The porous SOF- Connex™ structure can also accommodate catalytic materials in order to promote internal reforming. It physically separates the cell from the metallic interconnect, reducing thereby chromium poisoning of the cells and improving long term performance. The R-design stack is supplied in two different confi gurations. First, HTc offers a complet “plug&play” solution including HTc stack (5 to 16 elements), hot compression kit, insulating plate and a test setup providing connections at ambient temperature (gas inlets, ther-mocouples, current and voltage plugs). As an option, a convenient oven can also be provided. The second confi guration consists of the stack only (5 to 30 repeat elements) , requiring HTc engineering efforts for proper adaptation and integration into the customer’s system .
* These results were obtained under our ideal laboratory conditions. HTceramix offers no guarantee of identical performance under other laboratory conditions. HTceramix SA av. des Sports 18CH-1400 Yverdon www.htceramix.ch