Patent Description:
Recently, with the depletion of the existing energy resources such as petroleum or coal, there is an increasing interest in alternative energy which may be substituted for the existing energy resources. A unit cell has attracted attention as one of the alternative energy resources, and particularly, the unit cell has an advantage in that the unit cell has high efficiency, emits no pollutant, and provides plentiful fuel, such that researches on the unit cell are being actively conducted.

In general, the unit cell has an air electrode and a fuel electrode which are formed at both sides of an electrolyte, respectively, the fuel electrode is configured as an anode, the air electrode is configured as a cathode, fuel is oxidized when fuel is supplied to the fuel electrode such that electrons are emitted through an external circuit, and the air electrode receives the electrons from the external circuit when oxygen is supplied to the air electrode such that the oxygen is reduced into oxygen ions. The reduced oxygen ions move to the fuel electrode through the electrolyte, react with the oxidized fuel, and produce water.

A stack refers to a structure which is made by connecting end cells of the solid oxide unit cells among such unit cells to have a high capacity, and the stack is used for a solid oxide fuel cell.

Here, in order to produce the solid oxide fuel cell, a process of printing positive electrodes on solid fuel cells, positioning one unit cell on a ceramic setter, installing four edge supports, disposing another ceramic setter on the four edge supports, and then disposing another unit cell on the setter is repeatedly performed in order to fire the multiple unit cells at the same time.

The ceramic firing setter in the related art has a predetermined thickness or more with respect to the unit cell for a solid fuel cell in order to easily stack the unit cells, such that the unit cells for a solid fuel cell may be stably stacked, and thus the unit cells may be fired at the same time.

However, because it is necessary to use the ceramic firing setter in the related art having an area larger than a size of the unit cell for a solid fuel cell, there is a problem in that the number of unit cells for a solid fuel cell, which may be fired at the same time, is restricted.

In addition, in the case of the ceramic firing setter in the related art, because it is necessary to repeat the process of positioning one unit cell on one ceramic setter, installing the four edge supports, and then disposing another ceramic setter on the four edge supports, there are problems in that a large amount of working time is taken, and particularly, productivity of the solid fuel cell deteriorates.

<CIT> refers to a rack for firing which holds a plurality of flat board-like setters at multiple levels in the perpendicular direction by means of a setter holding means, and fires electronic ceramic elements at multiple levels. The rack for firing comprises four corner vertical supports, a square upper end support frame for supporting the upper ends of the four vertical supports, and a square lower end support frame for supporting the lower ends of the four corner vertical supports.

An object of the present invention is to provide a firing cartridge in which multiple slit grooves are formed in lateral portions, and multiple solid oxide fuel cell electrodes are inserted into the multiple slit grooves, such that the number of unit cells for a solid oxide fuel cell, which may be fired at the same time, may be increased.

In addition, an object according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is to provide a firing cartridge in which unit cells for a solid oxide fuel cell are accommodated in multiple slit grooves formed in lateral portions, such that working time taken to fire the unit cells for a solid oxide fuel cell may be reduced, and productivity of the solid oxide fuel cell may be improved.

A firing cartridge according to the present invention is defined in claim <NUM> and includes: an upper end portion; lateral portions which are disposed at both sides of the upper end portion, respectively; and a lower end portion which is connected to the lateral portions and disposed in parallel with the upper end portion, in which multiple slit grooves, which accommodate unit cells for a solid oxide fuel cell, are symmetrically formed in the lateral portions. A spacing distance between the multiple slit grooves is <NUM> to <NUM>.

According to one exemplary embodiment, one or more solid oxide fuel cell electrodes may be inserted into the slit grooves.

According to one exemplary embodiment, the multiple slit grooves may be formed in the lateral portions so as to be spaced apart from one another.

According to one exemplary embodiment, spacing distances between the multiple slit grooves may be equal to one another.

According to one exemplary embodiment, each of the upper end portion and the lower end portion may be formed in the form of a quadrangular frame opened at a center thereof.

According to one exemplary embodiment, the upper end portion, the lower end portion, and the lateral portions may be made of a ceramic material.

According to one exemplary embodiment, the firing cartridge may further include a support member which is made of a ceramic material, is connected to the upper end portion and the lower end portion so as to be perpendicular to the upper end portion and the lower end portion, and has the same height as the lateral portions.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the multiple slit grooves are formed in the lateral portions, and the multiple solid oxide fuel cell electrodes are inserted into the multiple slit grooves, such that the number of unit cells for a solid oxide fuel cell, which may be fired at the same time, may be increased.

In particular, the multiple unit cells for a solid oxide fuel cell are installed in the multiple slit grooves formed in the lateral portions, such that working time taken to fire the unit cells for a solid oxide fuel cell may be reduced, and productivity of the solid oxide fuel cell may be improved.

Here, repeated descriptions and detailed descriptions of publicly known functions and configurations will be omitted so as to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the subject matter of the present invention. Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are provided to completely explain the present invention to a person with ordinary skill in the art. Therefore, shapes and sizes of elements illustrated in the drawings may be exaggerated for a more apparent description.

Throughout the specification, unless explicitly described to the contrary, the word "comprise" or "include" and variations, such as "comprises", "comprising", "includes" or "including", will be understood to imply the inclusion of stated constituent elements, not the exclusion of any other constituent elements.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments are proposed to help understand the present invention. However, the following exemplary embodiments are provided just for more easily understanding the present invention, and the contents of the present invention are not limited by the exemplary embodiments.

<FIG> is a perspective view schematically illustrating a structure of a firing cartridge <NUM> according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and <FIG> is a view schematically illustrating a state in which unit cells for a solid oxide fuel cell are inserted into slit grooves <NUM> of the firing cartridge <NUM> illustrated in <FIG>.

The firing cartridge <NUM> according to the present invention includes an upper end portion <NUM>, lateral portions <NUM> which are disposed at both sides of the upper end portion <NUM>, respectively, and a lower end portion <NUM> which is connected to the lateral portions <NUM> and disposed in parallel with the upper end portion <NUM>.

In this case, multiple slit grooves <NUM>, which accommodate unit cells for a solid oxide fuel cell, are symmetrically formed in the lateral portions <NUM>. The upper end portion <NUM>, the lateral portions <NUM>, and the lower end portion <NUM> of the firing cartridge <NUM> may be made of a ceramic material.

In addition, one or more solid oxide fuel cell electrodes may be inserted into the multiple slit grooves <NUM>.

First, the upper end portion <NUM> may be formed in the form of a quadrangular frame opened at a center thereof. A thickness of the upper end portion <NUM> may be <NUM> to <NUM>, and more particularly, <NUM> to <NUM>.

If the thickness of the upper end portion <NUM> is less than <NUM>, there may be a problem in that durability of the firing cartridge <NUM> deteriorates.

Meanwhile, if the thickness of the upper end portion <NUM> is more than <NUM>, a weight of the upper end portion <NUM> is increased. For this reason, the lateral portions <NUM> to be described below cannot support the weight of the upper end portion <NUM>, which may cause a problem in that the firing cartridge <NUM> is damaged.

Next, the lateral portions <NUM> may be disposed at both sides of the upper end portion <NUM>, respectively. Here, both sides of the upper end portion <NUM> are two edges having a short length at an upper side of the upper end portion <NUM>. The lateral portions <NUM> are disposed in parallel with each other and connected to both sides of the upper end portion <NUM>.

A length of one edge at an upper side of each of the lateral portions <NUM> may be equal to a length of one edge of the upper end portion <NUM>. A longest edge of each of the lateral portions <NUM> may have a length equal to a height of the firing cartridge <NUM>. Here, the edges of the upper end portion <NUM> and the edges of the lateral portions <NUM> may be line segments that define boundaries between the portions.

A thickness of the lateral portion <NUM> may be <NUM> to <NUM>, and more particularly, <NUM> to <NUM>.

If the thickness of the lateral portions <NUM> is less than <NUM>, there may be a problem in that durability and stability of the firing cartridge <NUM> deteriorate.

Meanwhile, if the thickness of the lateral portions <NUM> is more than <NUM>, a weight of the lateral portions <NUM> is increased. For this reason, the lower end portion <NUM> to be described below cannot support the weight of the lateral portions <NUM>, which may cause a problem in that the firing cartridge <NUM> is damaged.

For example, in a case in which a length of one edge at the upper side of the upper end portion <NUM> is <NUM>, a length of one edge at the upper side of the lateral portion <NUM> may also be <NUM>, and a thickness of the lateral portion <NUM> may be <NUM>.

Here, the lateral portions <NUM> may be connected to the upper end portion <NUM> by one of threaded connection, interference fit, and fastening.

The multiple slit grooves <NUM> may be symmetrically formed in the lateral portions <NUM>, and the multiple slit grooves <NUM> may be formed in the lateral portions <NUM> so as to be spaced apart from one another.

Spacing distances between the multiple slit grooves <NUM> may be equal to one another. The spacing distance is <NUM> to <NUM>, and more particularly, may be <NUM> to <NUM>.

If the spacing distance between the multiple slit grooves <NUM> is less than <NUM>, the unit cells for a solid oxide fuel cell, which are inserted into the slit grooves <NUM>, respectively, come into close contact with one another, which may cause a problem in that the unit cells for a solid oxide fuel cell are damaged.

Meanwhile, if the spacing distance between the multiple slit grooves <NUM> is more than <NUM>, the number of unit cells for a solid oxide fuel cell, which are stacked by being inserted into the slit grooves <NUM>, is decreased, and thus the number of unit cells, which may be fired at the same time, is decreased, and as a result, there may be a problem in that productivity of the solid oxide fuel cell deteriorates.

For example, the multiple slit grooves <NUM> may be formed in the lateral portions <NUM> while having the same spacing distance of <NUM>, and solid oxide fuel cell electrodes may be accommodated in the multiple slit grooves <NUM>, respectively.

Since the multiple slit grooves <NUM> are formed in the lateral portions <NUM>, and the multiple solid oxide fuel cell electrodes are inserted into the slit grooves <NUM>, respectively, the number of unit cells for a solid oxide fuel cell, which may be fired at the same time, may be increased.

In particular, since the multiple unit cells for a solid oxide fuel cell are installed in the multiple slit grooves <NUM> formed in the lateral portions <NUM>, working time taken to fire the unit cells for a solid oxide fuel cell may be reduced, and productivity of the solid oxide fuel cell may be improved.

The lower end portion <NUM> may be formed in the form of a quadrangular frame opened at a center thereof. A thickness of the lower end portion <NUM> may be <NUM> to <NUM>, and more particularly, <NUM> to <NUM>.

If the thickness of the lower end portion <NUM> is less than <NUM>, the lower end portion <NUM> cannot support the weight of the upper end portion <NUM> and the weight of the lateral portions <NUM>, which may cause a problem in that durability of the firing cartridge <NUM> deteriorates. Meanwhile, if the thickness of the lower end portion <NUM> is more than <NUM>, there may be a problem in that overall production costs of the firing cartridge <NUM> are increased.

In addition, the lower end portion <NUM> may be connected to the lateral portions <NUM> by one of threaded connection, interference fit, and fastening. The upper end portion <NUM> and the lower end portion <NUM> may have the same shape and the same size.

The firing cartridge <NUM> may further include a support member <NUM> which is made of a ceramic material, is connected to the upper end portion <NUM> and the lower end portion <NUM> so as to be perpendicular to the upper end portion <NUM> and the lower end portion <NUM>, and has the same height as the lateral portions <NUM>.

The support member <NUM> has a height equal to the length of the longest edge of the lateral portion <NUM> connected to the upper end portion <NUM>, and the support member <NUM> may connect the upper end portion <NUM> and the lower end portion <NUM>.

The support member <NUM> may be connected to the upper end portion <NUM> and the lower end portion <NUM> by one of threaded connection, interference fit, and fastening.

Since the support member <NUM> connects and supports the upper end portion <NUM> and the lower end portion <NUM>, durability of the firing cartridge <NUM> may be improved.

In addition, the support member <NUM> supports the multiple unit cells for a solid oxide fuel cell, which are inserted into the multiple slit grooves <NUM> in the lateral portions <NUM>, so that the multiple unit cells are not withdrawn to the outside, and as a result, stability of the firing cartridge <NUM> may be improved.

Claim 1:
A firing cartridge (<NUM>) comprising:
an upper end portion (<NUM>);
lateral portions (<NUM>) which are disposed at both sides of the upper end portion (<NUM>), respectively; and
a lower end portion (<NUM>) which is connected to the lateral portions (<NUM>) and disposed in parallel with the upper end portion (<NUM>),
wherein multiple slit grooves (<NUM>), which accommodate unit cells for a solid oxide fuel cell, are symmetrically formed in the lateral portions (<NUM>),
wherein a spacing distance between the multiple slit grooves (<NUM>) is <NUM> to <NUM>.