Method of Making Fuel Cells and a Fuel Cell Stack
Herein discussed is a method of making a fuel cell comprising (a) producing an anode using an additive manufacturing machine (AMM); (b) creating an electrolyte using the additive manufacturing machine; and (c) making a cathode using the additive manufacturing machine. In an embodiment, the anode, the electrolyte, and the cathode are assembled into a fuel cell utilizing the additive manufacturing machine. In an embodiment, the fuel cell is formed using only the additive manufacturing machine.
1 . A method of making a fuel cell stack comprising:
(a) making an anode using an additive manufacturing machine, wherein the anode comprises two opposing major faces;
(b) making a cathode using the additive manufacturing machine, wherein the cathode comprises two opposing major faces;
(c) making an electrolyte using the additive manufacturing machine, wherein the electrolyte is between the anode and the cathode, wherein the electrolyte is adjacent to one of the major faces of the anode and adjacent to one of the major faces of the cathode, wherein the anode, the electrolyte, and the cathode form a first fuel cell;
(d) making an interconnect using the additive manufacturing machine, wherein the interconnect comprises two opposing major faces with one of its opposing major faces in contact with the other of the two opposing major faces of the anode or of the cathode;
(e) repeating steps (a)-(c) and forming a second fuel cell, wherein the second fuel cell is stacked with the first fuel cell such that the other of the two opposing major faces of the interconnect is in contact with one of the major faces of the cathode or of the anode of the second fuel cell.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte is in contact with one of the major faces of the anode and in contact with one of the major faces of the cathode.
3 . The method of claim 1 comprising making at least one barrier layer using the additive manufacturing machine or making a catalyst layer using the additive manufacturing machine.
4 . The method of claim 1 comprising heating the anode, or the electrolyte, or the cathode, or the interconnect, or combinations thereof.
5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein heating is performed using electromagnetic radiation.
6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation is performed in one exposure, or no greater than 10 exposures, or no greater than 100 exposures, or no greater than 1000 exposures, or no greater than 10,000 exposures.
7 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation has a burst frequency of 10 −4 -1000 Hz or 1-1000 Hz or 10-1000 Hz.
8 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation has an exposure distance of no greater than 50 mm.
9 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation has an exposure duration no less than 0.1 ms or 1 ms.
10 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation is applied using a xenon lamp, optionally with a capacitor voltage of no less than 100V.
11 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation comprises UV light, near ultraviolet light, near infrared light, infrared light, visible light, laser, electron beam, microwave.
12 . The method of claim 4 , wherein heating is performed in situ.
13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said additive manufacturing machine utilizes a multi-nozzle additive manufacturing method.
14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said additive manufacturing machine utilizes a deposition method comprising material jetting, binder jetting, inkjet printing, aerosol jetting, or aerosol jet printing, vat photopolymerization, powder bed fusion, material extrusion, directed energy deposition, sheet lamination, ultrasonic inkjet printing, or combinations thereof.
15 . A method of making a multiplicity of fuel cells comprising producing a multiplicity of fuel cell components simultaneously using an additive manufacturing machine, wherein the fuel cell components comprise anodes or electrolytes or cathodes or combinations thereof.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the anodes, the electrolytes, and the cathodes are assembled into fuel cells utilizing the additive manufacturing machine simultaneously.
17 . The method of claim 15 comprising making an interconnect or catalyst using the additive manufacturing machine for each of the multiplicity of fuel cells simultaneously.
18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein said interconnect or catalyst or both are assembled with the anode, the electrolyte, and the cathode using the additive manufacturing machine for each fuel cell.
19 . The method of claim 15 comprising heating the anodes, the electrolytes, and the cathodes in situ using electromagnetic radiation (EMR).
20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation comprises UV light, near ultraviolet light, near infrared light, infrared light, visible light, laser, electron beam, microwave.
21 . A method of making a fuel cell comprising
(a) forming an electrode using an additive manufacturing machine;
(b) forming an electrolyte using the additive manufacturing machine on top of the electrode;
(c) forming another electrode using the additive manufacturing machine on top of the electrolyte.
22 . The method of claim 21 comprising forming an interconnect using the additive manufacturing machine on top of the another electrode.
23 . The method of claim 22 comprising heating the anode, or the electrolyte, or the cathode, or the interconnect, or combinations thereof using electromagnetic radiation (EMR).
24 . The method of claim 23 , wherein heating is performed in situ.
25 . The method of claim 23 , wherein heating is performed using a xenon lamp.