Delphi Technologies, Inc.

Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Gary John Deangelis

Arthur R Williams

Allan Richard Wells

Charles Wilson Braun

Ahmet T Becene

Peter Ronald Wendt

James Patrick Henry

Kevn J Allen

Jeffrey Allan Rock

Thomas Howard Lichti

Michael James Fox

Brent J Wahba

Grover Wesley Preston

Roland S Taylor

Robert Augustine Zaso

Richard Lloyd Cooper

Christopher L Lewis

Steven J Fogarassy

Edgar Samuel Eshleman

David M Peers

Edwin A Rivera

Kurt T Hertzog

Carolyn D Fleming

Douglas Ronald Gnage

Rao M Arvind

Anatol Avdenko

Randal B White

Seal means for sealing a bipolar plate to a membrane in a PEM fuel cell stack. The seal includes a thin layer of a cross-linkable silicone composition disposed between the bipolar plate and the membrane. The layer is applied as a liquid to either the plate or the membrane and preferably is polymerized prior to assembly of the stack. A preferred means for applying the composition to the bipolar plate is screen printing. Preferably, the layer has a thickness between 0.001 and 0.005 inch. The resulting fuel cell stack exhibits superior leak resistance. In a currently preferred embodiment, a layer of the silicone composition is provided at interfaces between a membrane and both an anode side and a cathode side of a bipolar plate.

Silicone seal for bipolar plates in a PEM fuel cell

A method and apparatus for overmolding a plastic shroud onto a bobbin including the step of providing a protrusion ring on the surface of the bobbin surrounding each standoff between the bobbin and a mold wall and extending outwards from the surface of the bobbin. A plurality of standoffs and protrusion rings is presently preferred. The protrusion rings are small relative to the standoffs, have low thermal mass, and thus are readily melted by the injected molten plastic, causing interstitching between the bobbin material and the overmolding material. The interstitching creates a highly effective hermetic seal against moisture leakage along the surface of the bobbin away from the standoff site. Perfect melting of the standoffs is no longer required, and standoffs can be designed to assure proper positioning of the bobbin during the complete overmolding process.

Plastic sealing of solenoid bobbins

A thermoplastic carrier sheet is die-cut to have a size and shape matching that of a PEM bipolar plate. A plurality of holes are punched in the carrier sheet in the pattern of gasket beading to be formed subsequently. In a mold, liquid gasket resin fills the mold on both sides of the carrier sheet to form the gasket, flowing through the holes in the sheet and thereby causing the gasket to become mechanically attached to the sheet. A carrier element having a flange portion substantially identical with the outer profile of the bipolar plates is laminated to the sheet edge. During assembly of a fuel cell, the carrier element automatically positions the gasket correctly on the plate and prevents the gasket from twisting or shifting. In a currently preferred embodiment, a membrane electrode assembly is attached within an appropriate opening in the carrier sheet.

Method of forming a gasket assembly for a PEM fuel cell assembly

A method for attaching a gasket to a non-gasketed bipolar plate for a PEM fuel cell, including the steps of making a pattern of the gasket; preparing the bipolar plate surface; priming the bipolar plate surface for adhesive according to the gasket pattern; aging the primer coat; screen-printing an adhesive coat onto the primer according to the gasket pattern; positioning the gasket face-down in a mirror-image fixture having channels in the form of the gasket; positioning the bipolar plate face down onto the fixture and gasket; applying pressure to the plate to adhere the gasket thereto in the adhesive-coated areas; removing the plate and gasket subassembly from the fixture; and curing the adhesive to provide a gasketed bipolar plate.

Process for forming an integral gasket on a bipolar plate for a PEM fuel cell

A fluid pulse damper having increased dynamic range and sensitivity, being especially useful in suppressing pulsations in the fuel supply rail of an internal combustion engine. The damper is a longitudinal gas-filled plastic pillow having walls formed by opposed flexible short sides and opposed flexible long sides, and includes at least one internal self-contact element, and preferably a plurality of such elements. As the short sides flex, the elements make contact internally, shifting the damper into a different compression regime and extending the pressure/response over an increased range of pressures. A feature of some embodiments is that the inner surface within the contact elements is shifted into tension after the elements make contact, thereby stiffening the damper and increasing the damper's resistance to further deformation. The damper is formed of a plastic such as ultra-high molecular weight polyethylenes, high flow polyetherimides, or tubing grade polyphthalamides.

Variable stiffness fuel rail pulse damper having extended dynamic range

In a proton exchange membrane fuel cell assembly, a plurality of bores is provided in each anode plate and each cathode plate at a standard distance from the active area of each plate. The bores in the anode plate are stepped. Non-conductive stepped pins, each having a well in a large-diameter portion thereof, are inserted concentrically into the bores of adjacent anode and cathode plates to form a bipolar plate subassembly. The pins extend through the bipolar plate subassembly and have a reduced-diameter portion for engaging the wells of adjacent pins in an adjacent bipolar plate subassembly. Preferably, bores and pins are provided in rotational symmetry near opposite edges of each plate. The pins thus both align an anode and cathode to form a bipolar plate subassembly and also align a plurality of bipolar plate subassemblies, in combination with a plurality of proton exchange membranes therebetween, to form a fuel cell stack having all anode plates accurately aligned with all cathode plates.

Method and apparatus for alignment of fuel cell components

The present invention generally includes a composite fuel rail with integral damping provided by flat sections, molded into the rail conduit, that flex in response to a pressure pulsation and a co-injected composite laminate structure wherein the compounds of the laminates can be selectively varied to provide impact resistance, chemical resistance and a vapor permeation barrier, as needed.

Composite fuel rail with integral damping and a co-injected non-permeation layer

A composite fuel rail for delivering fuel to the fuel injectors of an internal combustion engine, includes an elongate body having a plurality of axially spaced transversely extending fuel injector sockets. The elongate body also includes an elongate, axially extending fuel passage intersecting the sockets to supply fuel to the sockets. The elongate body has an elongate polymer inner liner made of a chemically inert material that does not degrade substantially when exposed to fuel. The elongate body further includes a fiber reinforced outer shell extending over and covering the inner liner.

Fuel rail

An engine air control valve assembly includes a valve shaft and a valve plate made from composite polymeric plastics that are formed to be welded together by infrared laser welding. In a preferred embodiment, the valve shaft includes an intermediate portion with a longitudinal open groove along one side. The valve plate is formed with a central raised portion that engages the valve shaft in assembly. A tongue extends inward from the raised portion of the plate and is fitted into the shaft groove after assembly of the shaft into a valve body. The tongue is softened by a laser beam applied to the tongue/groove interface, thereby welding the valve components together in the installed location.

Laser welded air control valve and method

A cam phaser wherein the stator is integral with either the back plate or the front cover plate. The integral stator may be formed by any desired forming technique, such as, for example, by machining, casting, welding, or injection molding. Preferably, however, the integral stator is formed in a single molding step by powdered metal forming using powdered aluminum. Cap seals are provided for sealing the hydraulic chambers of the cam phaser.

Cam phaser apparatus having a stator integral with a back plate or a front cover plate

An isolator design provides for the isolation of each fuel rail mounting bracket from the intake manifold mounting boss and the screw assembly secures the fuel rail assembly to the intake manifold. The isolator assembly reduces the amount of heat transfer from the hot engine intake manifold to the fuel rail assembly, which in turn transfers heat back to the fuel tank via the fuel return line. The isolation of the fuel rail assembly to the intake manifold is accomplished by an isolator washer placed between the fuel rail mounting bracket and the manifold mounting boss. An isolator sleeve has locking tabs, which snap onto an inside diameter rib on the isolator washer. The mounting screw passes through the isolator washer and isolator sleeve to thereby securely lock each element of the isolator design. The assembly provides a structure for attachment of both isolator parts to the fuel rail mounting bracket. This assembly secures the isolators to the rail assembly during handling until installation of the rail on the manifold is completed. The locking tabs also provide isolation of the screw assembly with respect to the mounting bracket.

Fuel rail mounting bracket with isolator

A fuel injection nozzle has a tubular body adapted to receive fuel, a tubular seat member mounted to the body, the seat member having an opening for discharging fuel and a valve seat surrounding the opening, a poppet valve member engageable with the valve seat to interrupt fuel flow through the opening, and an extension spring anchored to the body and to the valve member and biasing the valve member to engage the valve seat. The extension spring is a helically coiled spring with each coil lying close to the adjacent coils and with the coils at one end overlying an end of the body to anchor the spring to the body and to cause fuel flowing through the nozzle to pass between the coils of the spring; the spring thereby acts as a filter for fuel to be discharged by the nozzle. The seat member is axially movable relative to the body to adjust the length of the spring and thus the bias on the valve member whereby the desired valve-opening pressure differential may be established. The body is adapted to receive fuel through a restriction member that limits fuel flow through the opening. The valve member has a shank with a valve element at one end and a head at the other end, the shank being formed as a pin and the valve element as a ball that is welded to the pin.

Growing community of inventors

Spencerport, NY, United States of America

Gary John Deangelis