Fuel Cell Manufacturing
Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC) are precision electrochemical reactors. These cells consist of multiple layers of different ceramic materials, each with a different coefficient of thermal expansion. One major challenge in the manufacturing of these layers is to fire them without cracking or delaminating, caused by poor uniformity in the firing furnace. In addition to excellent thermal uniformity the firing furnace has to control the porosity of the ceramic. For firing steps above 1100°C, BTU offers the convection batch furnace and the continuous pusher furnace. For firing steps below 1100°C BTU offers a belt furnace system. BTU has proven it can deliver the very precise uniformity required with these three types of systems. |
 | BTU has designed and tested a unique high-temperature SOFC system and manufacturing process. It uses a cast “green” anode substrate with additional layers – anode, electrolyte and cathode - screen printed onto the anode. Unlike other designs, the layers are co-fired, in a single firing step, at 1300°C. BTU provides both the technology and the manufacturing equipment for a complete production line.
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