March 10, 2015: FCO Develops Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Stack for Residential Systems
The Stack Under Development for Residential 700W Systems Is Only 3 Centimeters Thick
NAGOYA, Japan — FCO Power Inc. has announced the further development of its next-generation solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stack for residential fuel cell systems in existing apartments. According to the company, use of the thin, low-cost stack makes it realistic to install fuel cells in existing apartments, which account for approximately 40 percent of housing in Japan, beginning in 2020.
The Printed Fuel Cell™ is a SOFC in which all single cell layers, including separators (anode, electrolyte, cathode, and ceramic separator) are laminated repeatedly before sintering and subsequently simultaneously sintered only once as a stack. The total thickness of a single cell and separator is just 0.4 mm, which is approximately one tenth the thickness of conventional technology. Because it is so thin, the Printed Fuel Cell is said to achieve 5 kW/L, which is one of the highest levels in the world.