Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Ford Motor Company Limited

Alireza Pezhman Shirvanian

Shinichi Hirano

James Anthony Adams

James Waldecker

George S Saloka

Mark S Sulek

Chendong Huang

Tie Wang

A fuel cell system includes a bipolar plate having a flow field formed therein. The flow field is partially defined by at least two adjacent channel portions separated by a wall portion. The wall portion includes a surface at least partially defining a passageway between the channel portions. The passageway may be sized so as to create a pressure difference between the channel portions. The pressure difference may draw at least a portion of a liquid droplet obstructing one of the channel portions toward and into the passageway.

Fuel cell having perforated flow field

According to at least one aspect of the present invention, a fuel cell electrode assembly is provided. In one embodiment, the fuel cell electrode assembly includes a substrate and a plurality of catalyst regions supported on the substrate to provide a passage way formed between the catalyst regions for passing fuel cell reactants, at least a portion of the plurality of catalyst regions including a number of atomic layers of catalyst metals. In certain instances, the number of atomic layers of catalyst metals is greater than zero and less than 300. In certain other instances, the number of atomic layers of catalyst metals is between 1 and 100. In yet certain other instances, the number of atomic layers of catalyst metals is between 1 and 20.

Fuel cell electrode assembly and method of making the same

A fuel cell system may have at least one sensor including a pair of electrodes disposed on a substrate. The sensor may be configured to produce an output signal having a magnitude that is proportional to a relative humidity in a vicinity of the sensor and, if liquid water is on the sensor, proportional to an amount of the liquid water on the sensor.

Fuel cell system with wetness sensor

In one embodiment, a catalyst assembly includes a substrate including a base and a number of rods extending from the base; a catalyst layer including a catalyst material; and a first intermediate layer including a first coating material disposed between the substrate and the catalyst layer, the first coating material having a higher surface energy than the catalyst material. In certain instances, the number of rods may have an average aspect ratio in length to width of greater than 1. The catalyst assembly may further include a second intermediate layer disposed between the catalyst layer and the first intermediate layer, the second intermediate layer including a second coating material having a higher surface energy than the catalyst material. In certain instances, the first coating material has a higher surface energy than the second coating material.

Nano-structured thin film catalyst

A fuel cell may include a porous plate having an embedded flow field formed therein, a catalyst supported on and within the porous plate, and a proton exchange membrane in contact with the porous plate and catalyst. Such fuel cells may be arranged to form a fuel cell stack configured to provide power to move a vehicle.

Fuel cell with embedded flow field

A fuel cell includes a catalyst layer, a corrugated plate forming a plurality of channels that define a flow field in fluid communication with the catalyst layer, and a coating on at least one of the channels. The plate and coating are configured such that, if a gas flows through the channels, an obstruction blocking the at least one of the channels causes a pressure gradient between the channels that drives convection of the gas through the coating and around the obstruction.

Fuel cell

In one embodiment, a bipolar plate includes a wall area and a landing area defining a fluid flow channel, and a plurality of wires extending from at least one of the landing area and the wall area. In another embodiment, an electrochemical cell includes the aforementioned bipolar plate and a gas diffusion layer (GDL) adjacent the bipolar plate and contacting at least a portion of the plurality of wires.

Bipolar plates and electrochemical cells employing the same

A layered catalyst including a surface axis including a catalyst material layer, and a substrate material layer contacting the catalyst material layer. The catalyst material layer includes a compressed atomic distance between two adjacent catalyst atoms along the surface axis relative to an atomic distance of the same catalyst material as in bulk. The substrate material has a higher surface energy than the catalyst material. In certain instances, at least 70 percent of total atoms of the catalyst material are in a film growth mode. In certain other instances, a surface free energy of the substrate material is 1 to 50 percent greater than a surface free energy of the catalyst material. In yet certain other instances, the catalyst material layer has a d-band center in a range of &#x2212;2.1 eV to &#x2212;2.25 eV.

Layered catalyst

In one embodiment, a catalyst assembly includes a substrate including a substrate base and a number of substrate hairs extending longitudinally from the substrate base, the substrate base including a metal M, the number of substrate hairs including an oxide of the metal M; and a catalyst film contacting at least a portion of the substrate.

Catalyst layer supported on substrate hairs of metal oxides

In one embodiment, a catalyst assembly includes a porous substrate material including a substrate bulk and an external surface, the substrate bulk including a network of pores for diffusing fluids there-through, and a two dimension (2-D) extensive catalyst supported on at least a portion of the network of pores to provide a substantially constant catalyst concentration profile along a thickness dimension of the substrate bulk. In certain instances, the network of pores includes an internal pore surface for supporting at least a portion of the 2-D extensive catalyst.

Growing community of inventors

Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America

Alireza Pezhman Shirvanian