Ballard Power Systems Corporation

Zinc8 Energy Solutions, Inc.

Ford Motor Company Limited

Daimler Ag

Boguslaw M Wozniczka

Clarence Y Chow

Henry H Voss

Joel A Ronne

Mehrzad Tabatabaian

Stuart I Smedley

Peter Robert Gibb

Nicholas J Fletcher

David Robert Bruce

Neil V Davis

Wolf Tivy

Alfred Wong

Jake De Vaal

John Ka Chan

Jake DeVaal

Jake W De Vaal

Alfred N F Wong

A method of charging a metal-air fuel cell. The method includes a step of orienting an anode chamber horizontally. The method further method includes a step of providing metal particles suspended in an electrolyte to flow through the anode chamber in a downstream direction oriented horizontally. The method further method includes a step of allowing a bed of the metal particles to form on the anode current collector. The plurality of particle collectors perturb the flow of electrolyte through the anode chamber and encourage settling of the particles one of on and between the particle collectors. The method further method includes a step of maintaining uniform formation of the bed.

Metal-air fuel cell

A fuel cell having a cathode, cathode chamber, anode and anode chamber. The anode chamber is at least partially defined by an anode current collector. The cathode chamber is at least partially defined by the cathode. The anode chamber includes one or a plurality of anode flow channels for flowing an electrolyte in a downstream direction. The anode current collector may include a plurality of particle collectors projecting into the anode chamber to collect particles suspended in the electrolyte.

A solid polymer fuel cell comprising a membrane electrode assembly that is in adhesive contact with a first flow field plate around the circumferential edge of the membrane electrode assembly and in non-adhesive contact with a second flow field plate, and an elastomeric manifold seal member that circumscribes at least one manifold opening of the first flow field plate and the second flow field plate. In this configuration, the adhesive substantially seals a first reactant gas while the manifold seal member substantially seals a second reactant gas, thereby improving sealing reliability and simplifying the seal design without overly compressing and damaging the circumferential edge of the membrane electrode assembly.

Integrated seal for fuel cell assembly and fuel cell stack

An electrochemical fuel cell stack with improved reactant manifolding and sealing includes a pair of separator plates interposed between adjacent membrane electrode assemblies. Passageways fluidly interconnecting the anodes to a fuel manifold and interconnecting the cathodes to an oxidant manifold are formed between adjoining non-active surfaces of the pairs of separator plates. The passageways extend through one or more ports penetrating the thickness of one of the plates thereby fluidly connecting the manifold to the opposite active surface of that plate, and the contacted electrode. The non-active surfaces of adjoining separator plates in a fuel cell stack cooperate to provide passageways for directing both reactants from respective stack fuel and oxidant supply manifolds to the appropriate electrodes. The fuel and oxidant reactant streams passageways are fluidly isolated from each other, although they both traverse adjoining non-active surfaces of the same pair of plates. The present manifolding configuration simplifies the sealing mechanisms associated with the stack manifolds because reactant streams are not directed between the separator plates and resilient MEA seals. Coolant passages may also be conveniently provided between adjoining non-active surfaces of the pairs of separator plates.

Electrochemical fuel cell stack with improved reactant manifolding and sealing

An electrochemical fuel cell stack with improved reactant man folding and sealing includes a pair of separator plates interposed between adjacent membrane electrode assemblies. Passageways fluidly interconnecting the anodes to a fuel manifold and interconnecting the cathodes to an oxidant manifold are formed between adjoining non-active surfaces of the pairs of separator plates. The passageways extend through one or more ports penetrating the thickness of one of the plates thereby fluidly connecting the manifold to the opposite active surface of that plate, and the contacted electrode. The non-active surfaces of adjoining separator plates in a fuel cell stack cooperate to provide passageways for directing both reactants from respective stack fuel and oxidant supply manifolds to the appropriate electrodes. The fuel and oxidant reactant streams passageways are fluidly isolated from each other, although they both traverse adjoining non-active surfaces of the same pair of plates.

An electrochemical fuel cell stack with improved reactant manifolding and sealing includes a pair of separator plates interposed between adjacent membrane electrode assemblies. Passageways fluidly interconnecting the anodes to a fuel manifold, and interconnecting the cathodes to an oxidant manifold, comprise at least one fluid passageway formed between adjoining non-active surfaces of the pairs of separator plates. The passageways extend through one or more ports penetrating the thickness of one of the plates thereby fluidly connecting the manifold to the opposite active surface of that plate, and the adjacent electrode. The ports comprise walls that have surfaces that are angled more than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees with respect to the direction of fluid flow in the fluid passageway upstream of the port. During operation, electrochemical fuel cell stacks comprising fluid ports with angled walls benefit from reduced pressure loss. Turbulence, which is believed to have adverse effects on the membrane electrode assemblies of solid polymer fuel cells, is also reduced.

An encapsulating seal for an electrochemical cell stack provides sealing when individual cell seals fail and also provides increased insulation and protection for the stack and its components. The encapsulating seal is disposed on at least one side of the cell stack and at least between one or more pairs of separator plates having a membrane electrode assembly between them. An improved method for sealing a electrochemical cell stack comprises forming an encapsulating seal with different material and conditions, such as with a seal material having a curing temperature greater than the operating temperature of the cell stack. The encapsulating seal can be formed by injection molding, potting or other suitable methods.

Encapsulating seals for electrochemical cell stacks and methods of sealing electrochemical cell stacks

Electrochemical fuel cell stack with improved reactant manifolding and

An electrochemical fuel cell stack includes a plurality of fuel cell assemblies interposed between a pair of end plate assemblies. The mechanism for securing the stack in its compressed, assembled state includes at least one compression band which circumscribes the end plate assemblies and interposed fuel cell assemblies of the stack. At least one of the end plate assemblies is sufficiently thin so as to deflect under the compressive force if the at least one end plate assembly is supported only at a peripheral edge portion thereof. Preferably, at least one of the end plate assemblies comprises a resilient member which cooperates with each compression band to urge the first end plate assembly toward the second end plate assembly, thereby applying compressive force to the fuel cell assemblies to promote sealing and electrical contact between the layers forming the fuel cell stack.

Electrochemical fuel cell stack with compression bands

An electrochemical fuel cell assembly comprises a pair of separator layers and a membrane electrode assembly interposed between the separator layers. The membrane electrode assembly comprises a pair of electrodes and an ion exchange membrane interposed therebetween, the electrodes having electrocatalyst associated therewith defining an electrochemically active area. Each of the separator layers comprises one or more reactant stream passages in fluid communication with one of the electrodes. At least one of the separator layers further comprises one or more coolant stream passages which do not superpose the electrochemically active area of the adjacent membrane electrode assembly, and are fluidly isolated from the reactant stream passages.

Integrated reactant and coolant fluid flow field layer for an

An electrochemical fuel cell stack includes a plurality of fuel cell assemblies interposed between a pair of end plate assemblies. The mechanism for securing the stack in its compressed, assembled state includes at least one compression band which circumscribes the end plate assemblies and interposed fuel cell assemblies of the stack. Preferably, at least one of the end plate assemblies comprises a resilient member which cooperates with each compression band to urge the first end plate assembly toward the second end plate assembly, thereby applying compressive force to the fuel cell assemblies to promote sealing and electrical contact between the layers forming the fuel cell stack.

Growing community of inventors

Coquitlam, Canada

Boguslaw M Wozniczka