Other

Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Leland Stanford Junior University

Amy Chang-Chien

Friedrich B Prinz

Nariaki Kuriyama

Jun Sasahara

Tadahiro Kubota

Ryan Patrick O'Hayre

Sang-Joon John Lee

Yaocheng Liu

Suk Won Cha

Yuji Saito

Toshifumi Suzuki

In a fuel cell assembly comprising a plurality of cell each including an electrolyte layer (), a pair of diffusion electrode layers () interposing the electrolyte layer between them, and a pair of flow distribution plates () for defining passages () for fuel and oxidant fluids that contact the diffusion electrode layers, the fuel cells are arranged on a common plane. Therefore, the vertical dimension of the fuel cell assembly can be minimized, and a fuel cell assembly of favorable electric properties can be achieved. Each flow distribution plate is typically formed with communication passages for communicating fluid passages defined on each side of the electrolyte layer at a prescribed pattern. The communication passages and through holes communicate the fluid passages in such a manner that adjacent fuels cells have opposite polarities.

Fuel cell assembly

A fuel cell contains an electrolyte sheet sandwiched between two electrodes. One or both electrode/electrolyte interfaces includes mesoscopic three-dimensional features in a prescribed pattern. The features increase the surface area-to-volume ratio of the device and can be used as integral channels for directing the flow of reactant gases to the reaction surface area, eliminating the need for channels in sealing plates surrounding the electrodes. The electrolyte can be made by micromachining techniques that allow very precise feature definition. Both selective removal and mold-filling techniques can be used. The fuel cell provides significantly enhanced volumetric power density when compared with conventional fuel cells.

Fuel cell with patterned electrolyte/electrode interface

Growing community of inventors

Stanford, CA, United States of America

Amy Chang-Chien