Method of making a fuel cell device

1. A method of making an electrode layer for a monolithic fuel cell device, comprising:

forming a first elongate electrode sublayer having an active cell portion lengthwise between first and second passive support portions and a first plurality of removable physical structures therein with a straight elongate length from a first end to a second end positioned in parallel in the length direction and physically spaced apart from each other in a direction transverse to the length direction, wherein the active cell portion includes an electrode material at least partially surrounding a first lengthwise portion of the first plurality of removable physical structures from the first end to a point intermediate the first and second ends, the first passive support portion includes a ceramic material surrounding a second lengthwise portion of the first plurality of removable physical structures from the point intermediate the first and second ends to the second end, and the second passive support portion includes a ceramic material adjacent to the first ends of the first plurality of removable physical structures, and

forming a second elongate electrode sublayer having an active cell portion lengthwise between first and second passive support portions and a second plurality of removable physical structures therein with an elongate length from a first end to a second end positioned in parallel in the length direction and physically spaced apart from each other in a direction transverse to the length direction and having a curved portion at the second ends, wherein the active cell portion includes the electrode material at least partially surrounding a first lengthwise portion of the second plurality of removable physical structures from the first end to a point intermediate the first and second ends, the first passive support portion includes the ceramic material adjacent to the first ends of the second plurality of removable physical structures, and the second passive support portion includes the ceramic material surrounding a second lengthwise portion of the second plurality of removable physical structures from the point intermediate the first and second ends to adjacent the second end, and

laminating the first and second elongate electrode sublayers together with the respective active cell portions aligned, the respective first passive support portions aligned, and the respective second passive support portions aligned to form a laminated first passive support section and a laminated second passive support section with a laminated active cell section therebetween;

pulling the first and second plurality of removable physical structures out of the laminated first and second electrode sublayers to reveal spaced-apart input passages formed from one end of the electrode layer in the laminated first passive support section and transitioning through the laminated active cell section and spaced-apart exhaust passages formed in the laminated active cell section and transitioning into the laminated second passive support section and curving to terminate at a side before the other end of the electrode layer; and

sintering the laminated first and second elongate electrode sublayers to form an active cell between first and second passive support structures with the spaced-apart input and exhaust passages embedded in and supported by the sintered ceramic material and electrode material.

2. A method of making a monolithic fuel cell device, comprising:

forming a first electrode layer by the method of claim 1 , wherein the electrode material is an anode material;

forming a second electrode layer by the method of claim 1 , wherein the electrode material is a cathode material;

positioning an electrolyte layer of ceramic material in a multi-layer stack between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer, wherein the active cells are aligned, the first passive support structure of the first electrode layer is aligned with the second passive support structure of the second electrode layer, and the second passive support structure of the first electrode layer is aligned with the first passive support structure of the second electrode layer such that the spaced-apart input passages of the first electrode layer and the spaced-apart exhaust passages of the second electrode layer are positioned at one end of the multi-layer stack and the spaced-apart input passages of the second electrode layer and the spaced-apart exhaust passages of the first electrode layer are positioned at the other end of the multi-layer stack; and

laminating the multi-layer stack;

wherein the positioning of the electrolyte layer between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer is performed prior to pulling the first and second plurality of removable physical structures out of the laminated first and second electrode sublayers, and

wherein the sintering includes sintering the electrolyte layer with the laminated first and second elongate electrode sublayers to form a monolithic fuel cell device in which the electrolyte layer is monolithic with the first and second passive support structures of the first and second electrode layers by co-sintering of the ceramic material of the electrolyte layer with the ceramic material of the first and second electrode layers.

3. A method of making an electrode layer for a monolithic fuel cell device, comprising:

forming a first elongate electrode sublayer by:

positioning a first plurality of removable physical structures having a straight elongate length from a first end to a second end in parallel in the length direction and physically spaced apart from each other in a direction transverse to the length direction,

dispensing an electrode paste around a first lengthwise portion of the first plurality of removable physical structures to at least partially surround each of the first plurality of removable physical structures from the first end to a point intermediate the first and second ends,

dispensing a paste of ceramic material adjacent to the electrode paste and around a second lengthwise portion of the first plurality of removable physical structures so as to surround each of the first plurality of removable physical structures with the ceramic material from the point intermediate the first and second ends to the second end,

dispensing the paste of ceramic material adjacent to the electrode paste and to the first ends of the first plurality of removable physical structures, and

drying the electrode paste and the paste of ceramic material to form the first elongate electrode sublayer having an active cell portion with the first lengthwise portion of the first plurality of removable physical structures therein, a first passive support portion adjacent the active cell portion with the second lengthwise portion of the first plurality of removable physical structures therein, and a second passive support portion adjacent the active cell portion opposite the first passive support portion;

forming a second elongate electrode sublayer by:

positioning a second plurality of removable physical structures in parallel in the length direction and physically spaced apart from each other in a direction transverse to the length direction, the second plurality of removable physical structures having an elongate length from a first end to a second end and a curved portion at the second end,

dispensing the electrode paste around a first lengthwise portion of the second plurality of removable physical structures to at least partially surround each of the second plurality of removable physical structures from the first end to a point intermediate the first and second ends,

dispensing the paste of ceramic material adjacent to the electrode paste and around a second lengthwise portion of the second plurality of removable physical structures so as to surround each of the second plurality of removable physical structures with the ceramic material from the point intermediate the first and second ends to adjacent the second end,

dispensing the paste of ceramic material adjacent to the electrode paste and to the first ends of the second plurality of removable physical structures, and

drying the electrode paste and the paste of ceramic material to form the second elongate electrode sublayer having an active cell portion with the first lengthwise portion of the second plurality of removable physical structures therein, a first passive support portion adjacent the active cell portion, and a second passive support portion adjacent the active cell portion opposite the first passive support portion and with the second lengthwise portion of the second plurality of removable physical structures therein;

laminating the first and second elongate electrode sublayers together with the respective active cell portions aligned, the respective first passive support portions aligned, and the respective second passive support portions aligned to form a laminated first passive support section and a laminated second passive support section with a laminated active cell section therebetween;

pulling the first and second plurality of removable physical structures out of the laminated first and second electrode sublayers to reveal spaced-apart input passages formed from one end of the electrode layer in the laminated first passive support section and transitioning through the laminated active cell section and spaced-apart exhaust passages formed in the laminated active cell section and transitioning into the laminated second passive support section and curving to terminate at a side before the other end of the electrode layer; and

sintering the laminated first and second elongate electrode sublayers to form an active cell between first and second passive support structures with the spaced-apart input and exhaust passages embedded in and supported by the sintered ceramic material and electrode material.

4. A method of making a monolithic fuel cell device, comprising:

forming a first electrode layer by the method of claim 3 , wherein the electrode paste is an anode paste;

forming a second electrode layer by the method of claim 3 , wherein the electrode paste is a cathode paste;

positioning an electrolyte layer of ceramic material in a multi-layer stack between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer, wherein the active cells are aligned, the first passive support structure of the first electrode layer is aligned with the second passive support structure of the second electrode layer, and the second passive support structure of the first electrode layer is aligned with the first passive support structure of the second electrode layer such that the spaced-apart input passages of the first electrode layer and the spaced-apart exhaust passages of the second electrode layer are positioned at one end of the multi-layer stack and the spaced-apart input passages of the second electrode layer and the spaced-apart exhaust passages of the first electrode layer are positioned at the other end of the multi-layer stack; and

laminating the multi-layer stack;

wherein the positioning of the electrolyte layer between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer is performed prior to pulling the first and second plurality of removable physical structures out of the laminated first and second electrode sublayers, and

wherein the sintering includes sintering the electrolyte layer with the laminated first and second elongate electrode sublayers to form a monolithic fuel cell device in which the electrolyte layer is monolithic with the first and second passive support structures of the first and second electrode layers by co-sintering of the ceramic material of the electrolyte layer with the ceramic material of the first and second electrode layers.