Patent ID: 6916569
Filing Date: 2005-07-12
Classification: H01M,Y02E

Abstract:
1. Fuel cell comprising a solid electrolyte layer ( 12 ) and two electrode layers ( 11 , 13 ) which are applied by means of coating procedures to an open pored, electrically conducting carrier structure ( 10 ) in the sequence anode ( 11 ), electrolyte ( 12 ) and cathode ( 13 ) and form a plate-like multiple layer system ( 1 ), with this multiple layer plate ( 1 ) having an outer edge which is exposed during a current generating operation of the fuel cell to an external environment ( 60 ) which contains molecular oxygen and with the material of the carrier structure assuming an oxidized or a reduced state in thermodynamical equilibrium at the operating temperature of the fuel cell depending on the environment, characterized in that the outer edge ( 16 ) of the multiple layer plate is covered over with an inert material; and in that this edge covering ( 122 , 126 ) forms at the operating temperature of the fuel cell a barrier which inhibits or prevents the transport of molecular oxygen out of the external environment ( 60 ) into the carrier structure, with the inert material of the edge covering being zirconium dioxide ZrO 2 which is stabilized with yttrium oxide Y 2 O 3 .