Fuel cell having zirconia-containing electrolyte and ceramic electrodes

Claim 1

A SOLID ELECTROLYTE HIGH TEMPERATURE FUEL CELL COMPRISING, A SOLID GAS IMPERVIOUS CERAMIC ELECTROLYTE CONSISTING OF ZIRCONIA HAVING IN SOLID SOLUTION THEREWITH A SUFFICIENT AMOUNT OF A COMPOUND SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALKALINE EARTH OXIDES, RARE EARTH OXIDES, YTTRIA, SCANDIA AND MIXTURES THEREOF TO PROVIDE OXIDE VACANCIES IN THE CRYSTAL STRUCTURE OF SAID ZIRCONIA, SAID ELECTROLYTE BEING DISPOSED BETWEEN AND IN INTIMATE CONTACT WITH A SOLID GAS POROUS ANODE AND A SOLID GAS POROUS CATHODE, SAID ANODE INCLUDING A POROUS NON-CONDUCTIVE CERAMIC MATRIX HAVING DISPERSED THERIN AN ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE CATLYTIC MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF NICKEL, COBALT, CHROMIUM, PLATINUM, TITANIUM OXIDES AND MIXTURES THEREOF IN AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO EFFECT ELECTRICAL CONDUCTION THROUGH SAID ANODE, SAID CATHODE INCLUDING A POROUS NON-CONDUCTIVE CERAMIC MATRIX HAVING DISPERSED THEREIN AN ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE CATALYTIC MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF MANGANESE OXIDE, COPPER OXIDE, COBALT OXIDE, NICKEL OXIDE, PLATINUM, SILVER, SILVER-COPPER ALLOYS AND MIXTURES THEREOF IN AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO EFFECT ELECTRICAL CONDUCTION THROUGH SAID CATHODE, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID ANODE AND SAID CATHODE BEING BONDED TO SAID ELECTROLYTE FOR PROVIDING MECHANICAL SUPPORT THERETO, AND HAVING A COEFFICIENT OF EXPANSION SUBSTANIALLY THE SAME AS THE COEFFICIENT OF EXPANSION OF SAID ELECTROLYTE, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING A FUEL GAS TO SAID ANODE, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING AN OXIDIZING GAS TO SAID CATHODE, AND MEANS FOR ELECTRICALLY CONNECTING A LOAD ACROSS SAID ANODE AND CATHODE.