Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Corning Incorporated

Eric L Thompson

Frederick T Wagner

Anusorn Kongkanand

Thomas William Brew

Robert L Fuss

Mark Allen Spetseris

James S Siepierski

Martin Monroe Hoch

Stephen Farris

Steven G Goebel

Gerald W Fly

Pinkhas A Rapaport

Yan Zhang

Min Shen

Jameson R Forte

Scott C Ofslager

Patricia J Nelson

Tushar Gulati

Darin Wayne Felty

Slater Kent Atkins

A skin-forming die includes an inlet face; an outlet face; one or more slots, each of the one or more slots comprising one or more slot inlets extending between the one or more slot inlets and the outlet face; a plurality of feedholes extending between the inlet face and the one or more slot inlets; and a central opening configured to receive a matrix die. Extrusion die apparatus and methods of manufacturing honeycomb bodies are also disclosed.

Skin-forming die and honeycomb extrusion die

A honeycomb extrusion die assembly () comprising a honeycomb extrusion die () and a forming plate () to block batch flow to at least a portion of a skin forming region. The honeycomb extrusion die () comprising a step cut discharge surface () in the skin forming region and at least some slots () each with a divot () spaced toward a discharge surface () from a feedhole-slot intersection and a wide portion at the discharge surface () extending into the die body to the divot () to strengthen a peripheral region of a honeycomb extrudate in a reinforcement region, and a bulk nominal section corresponding to a bulk region of the honeycomb body.

Extrusion components for honeycomb bodies

One embodiment includes a method of forming a hydrophilic particle containing electrode including providing a catalyst; providing hydrophilic particles suspended in a liquid to form a liquid suspension; contacting said catalyst with said liquid suspension; and, drying said liquid suspension contacting said catalyst to leave said hydrophilic particles attached to said catalyst.

Method of enhancing electrodes

A fuel cell including at least one of a hydrophilic interlayer and a flow field treated to impart hydrophilic properties is disclosed, wherein the hydrophilic interlayer and the treated flow field militate against water accumulation in ultrathin electrodes of the fuel cell, particularly for cool-start operating conditions (i.e. about 0&#xb0; C. to about 60&#xb0; C.).

Material design to enable high mid-temperature performance of a fuel cell with ultrathin electrodes

One embodiment includes at least one of the anode and cathode of a fuel cell comprises a first layer and a second layer in intimate contact with each other. Both the first layer and the second layer comprise a catalyst capable of catalyzing an electrochemical reaction of a reactant gas. The second layer has a higher porosity than the first layer. A membrane electrode assembly (MEA) based on the layered electrode configuration and a process of making a fuel cell are also described.

Fuel cell with layered electrode

Combustion heaters having internal combustion chambers are located adjacent the end cells of a stack of fuel cells to directly, conductively heat the end cells during cold start-up of the stack. Similar heater(s) may also be located within the stack when cold starting under extremely cold conditions. A method of combustion thawing a fuel cell stack is described.

Combustion-thawed fuel cell

A method of operating a fuel cell system is disclosed, the method including the steps of providing a fuel cell stack including a plurality of fuel cell assemblies, each fuel cell assembly having a proton exchange membrane disposed between a plurality of fuel cell plates, wherein water is purged from the fuel cell system during a shutdown operation, and a current is produced in the fuel cell system following the shutdown purge to produce product water to hydrate the proton exchange membrane.

Method to maximize fuel cell voltage during start-up

Systems of checking thermal-induced circulation of a coolant in a fuel cell stack are disclosed. The system includes coolant inlet and outlet lines extending from a fuel cell stack. A pump and a radiator are confluently connected to the coolant inlet and coolant outlet lines. In one embodiment, a valve (either check type or automatic type) is provided in the coolant outlet line at the bottom of the fuel cell stack to prevent the flow of cold coolant from the coolant outlet line into the fuel cell stack upon start-up of the fuel cell stack. In another embodiment, a valve (either one-way flow control type or automatic type) is provided in the coolant inlet line at the top of the fuel cell stack. A method of checking thermal-induced circulation of a coolant in a fuel cell stack is also disclosed.

Circulation check for fuel cell coolant

A passive restriction passageway (for example, a passive capillary valve or a restricting orifice) positioned to drain accumulated liquid from a fuel cell reactant flow channel is used in conjunction with a control element for periodically adjusting the pressure across the passageway. The control element intermittently adjusts pressure across the passageway to enable liquid flow through the passageway. The restriction passageways and the adjustment of pressure periodically move liquid water through the passageways to drain liquid buildup from the reactant supply channels. Together, these features enable sustained performance from the fuel cell during operation and also prevent damage to the fuel cell when the fuel cell is exposed to freezing temperatures (especially after shutdown of the fuel cell).

Passive restriction pathways in fuel cell water drainage

A method and apparatus according to the present invention controls current that is supplied to a load by a fuel cell stack. A minimum voltage of a plurality of fuel cells in a fuel cell stack is monitored. The current load supplied by the fuel cell stack is increased if the minimum fuel cell voltage value exceeds a first voltage value. The current load supplied by the fuel cell stack is decreased if the minimum fuel cell voltage value is less than a second voltage value. The current load supplied by the fuel cell is maintained if the minimum fuel cell voltage is between the first and second voltage values. The current load is increased and decreased based upon a difference between the minimum fuel cell voltage and the first voltage value.

Fuel cell voltage feedback control system

A gasket for a fuel cell, wherein the gasket includes the use of two or more different materials as the gasket. For example, ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) and/or the like, or another more chemically inert gasket material, is located inside or on an inboard position and is the wetted material that is exposed to the fuel cell operating environment. Silicone and/or the like, or another potentially contaminating material with better cold temperature sealability, is located outside or on an outboard position and does not come in contact with the fuel cell internal environment. One method of constructing such a gasket would be two include two parallel bead traces of the gasket materials on a polyimide (e.g., KAPTON&#xae;) carrier, or the like.

Multi-component fuel cell gasket for low temperature sealing and minimal membrane contamination

A system and method for determining the internal temperature of a fuel cell stack during stack start-up so as to start a cooling fluid flow before the internal temperature of the stack rises above a temperature that might damage the fuel cells within the stack. The system and method include determining an initial temperature from either an ambient temperature sensor or a sensor in the cooling fluid manifold in the stack, measuring the voltage of the stack and the current from the stack, and from these values determining the waste heat from the stack to determine its temperature. If hydrogen is sent to the cathode side of the stack during the start-up, then the system and method also include determining the flow rate of the hydrogen.

Method to begin coolant circulation to prevent MEA overheating during cold start

The present invention is directed to mitigating overuse of limited membrane regions in electrochemical conversion assemblies, particularly under cold start conditions. In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the anode and/or cathode flowfield plates of an electrochemical conversion assembly are configured such that the fluid header region defines an anode fluid header, a cathode fluid header, and a coolant fluid header configured such that a feed region of the plate defines an array of substantially linear fluid channels extending from an acutely angled header/feed interface defined on the plate to a feed/active interface defined across the entire active area of the plate.

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Honeoye Falls, NY, United States of America

Eric L Thompson