Ballard Power Systems Corporation

Daimler-benz Ag

Other

Johnson Matthey Public Limited Company

Alberta Research Council Incorporated

British Columbia Cancer Agency Branch

University of North Florida

Henry H Voss

David P Wilkinson

Joel A Ronne

Russell H Barton

Gordon J Lamont

Brian W Wells

Clarence Y Chow

David S Watkins

Boguslaw M Wozniczka

Eric G Pow

Peter Robert Gibb

Nicholas J Fletcher

Keith B Prater

Harald Anton Nigsch

Vesna Basura

James T Dudley

Clemens Schwab

David Thompsett

Mark Christian Johnson

Thomas Robertson Ralph

Graham Alan Hards

Gerald Hornburg

Kirk B Washington

Rob Baumert

Karon MacLean

Craig Greenhill

Wolfgang Schlosser

Boguslav M Wozniczka

Liisa Holsti

Alex Mossman

Anne M Fincati

Bohuslav J Zezulka

Adverse effects of pain in a premature infant, especially a very or extremely premature infant may be ameliorated by exposing the infant to stimuli comprising one or more of vertical oscillating motion simulating breathing, skin contact with an interface that mimics human skin and exposure to sounds and/or vibrations that simulate heartbeats. A device including a movable platform provides such stimuli within a neonatal intensive care incubator. The device provides simulated maternal breathing through vertical movement at a rate and speed similar to that experienced by an infant lying upon its mother's chest. It further provides simulated maternal skin interface feel as well as heartbeat sound. These simulated sensory parameters appear to have an innate calming effect upon a preterm infant that reduces the duration and severity of the infant's response to a pain event. The same stimulations may reduce occurrence of below-baseline fluctuations of brain blood oxygen content.

Apparatus and methods for improving health outcomes of preterm infants

Passive recovery of liquid water from the cathode side of a polymer electrolyte membrane through the design of layers on the cathode side of an MEA and through the design of the PEM, may be used to supply water to support chemical or electrochemical reactions, either internal or external to the fuel cell, to support the humidification or hydration of the anode reactants, or to support the hydration of the polymer electrolyte membrane over its major surface or some combination thereof. Such passive recovery of liquid water can simplify fuel cell power generators through the reduction or elimination of cathode liquid water recovery devices.

Passive recovery of liquid water produced by fuel cells

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

In the present fuel cell systems, fuel cell stacks operate on a fuel stream having a pressure that is below the pressure of the surrounding environment, for example below atmospheric pressure. In the event of a leak, the fuel stream will not escape to the surrounding atmosphere, but rather gases from the surrounding environment will leak into the fuel stream. The fuel stream generally cannot exit the fuel cell stack during normal operation. The fuel cell stack may be periodically purged by increasing the pressure of the fuel stream above the pressure of the surrounding environment and by permitting exit through the fuel stream outlet. A monitoring device can be employed to determine when to purge the fuel cell stack.

Fuel cell system for operation at pressures below the pressure of the surrounding environment and method of operation thereof

Reactant gas supply streams for solid polymer fuel cells may be heated and humidified using heat generated by the fuel cell and water vapor from the fuel cell exhaust. The heat and water vapor in the oxidant exhaust stream are sufficient to heat and humidify a reactant gas supply stream, preferably the oxidant supply stream. The heating and humidifying can be accomplished by flowing a reactant gas supply stream and a fuel cell exhaust gas stream on opposite sides of a water permeable membrane in a combined heat and humidity exchange apparatus. The method and apparatus are particularly suitable for use with air-cooled fuel cell systems and systems which employ near ambient pressure air as the oxidant gas supply.

Solid polymer fuel cell system and method for humidifying and adjusting the temperature of a reactant stream

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.

A vehicle includes a traction unit capable of delivering mechanical power for driving the vehicle; electric loads; and a fuel cell system for supplying the electric loads with electric power. The fuel cell system includes a fuel cell stack with an anode input line, an anode exhaust line, a cathode input line, and an cathode exhaust line. A compression/expansion loop is employed in the cathode exhaust line. The expansion side of the compression/expansion loop is in thermal contact with the cathode exhaust to cool the cathode exhaust and to transfer the heat of the exhaust to the compression side of the compression/expansion loop at a higher temperature level. A water separator is arranged in the cathode exhaust line for collecting water vapor of product water that is carried in the cathode exhaust and is recycled to the fuel cell system.

Vehicle with a fuel cell system and method for operating the same

An improved membrane electrode assembly (&ldquo;MEA&rdquo;) comprises coextensive ion exchange membrane and electrode layers and a resilient fluid impermeable integral seal comprising a sealant material impregnated into the porous electrode layers in the sealing regions. The integral seal preferably circumscribes the electrochemically active area of the MEA. The integral seal preferably also extends laterally beyond the edge of the MEA. An integral seal may also be provided around any openings, such as external manifold openings formed outside the MEA. Preferably, the uncured sealant material is a flow processable elastomer applied using an injection molding process. In preferred embodiments the seal has a plurality of spaced, parallel raised ribs with cross-ribs extending therebetween at spaced intervals. The raised ribs and cross-ribs provide compartmentalized seals that provide improved protection against fluid leaks.

Membrane electrode assembly for an electrochemical fuel cell

An electrochemical fuel cell stack with an improved compression assembly comprises a tension member which is electrically non-conductive and preferably non-metallic. The tension member can be made from a composite material which has similar expansion and contraction properties as the stack materials, thereby reducing undesirable fluctuations in the compressive force applied to the stack. An improved apparatus for securing the improved tension member to the rest of the compression assembly is also provided. Preferred embodiments of an improved compression assembly employ a collet and wedges to grip the tension member and compress a resilient member which imparts a tensile force to the tension member and a compressive force to the fuel cell assemblies. In other embodiments, an improved compression assembly employs a unitary resilient member and fastener in combination with a tension member. The improved apparatus is easier to assemble in high speed manufacturing processes because the compression assembly can be assembled or installed using the same machinery which is used to compress the stack in one fixturing because the compression assembly is assembled by being stacked in essentially the same direction as the other fuel cell components. An improved method of assembling a compression assembly for an electrochemical fuel cell stack is also provided.

Electrochemical fuel cell stack with an improved compression assembly

Solid polymer fuel cell system and method for humidifying and adjusting

Electrochemical fuel cell stack with improved reactant manifolding and

An improved membrane electrode assembly ('MEA') comprises coextensive ion exchange membrane and electrode layers and a resilient fluid impermeable integral seal made by impregnating a sealing material into the porous electrode layers in the sealing regions. The integral seal preferably circumscribes the electrochemically active area of the MEA. In addition, the integral seal preferably extends laterally beyond the edge of the MEA, enveloping the peripheral region including the side edge of the MEA. The uncured sealant material is preferably a flow processable elastomer that is applied to the MEA using a vacuum injection molding process. In preferred embodiments, the seal has a plurality of spaced, parallel raised ribs with cross-ribs extending therebetween at spaced intervals. The parallel raised ribs and cross-ribs provide compartmentalized seals that provide improved protection against fluid leaks.

Membrane electrode assembly for an electrochemical fuel cell and a

An electrode comprises a first catalytic component active at gas-phase reaction sites and a second catalytic component active at electrochemical reaction sites wherein each catalytic component is present either as a separate layer, or a single mixed layer or a combination of a separate layer and a single mixed layer. The electrode has an improved tolerance to poisons such as carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.

Electrode

A fuel cell assembly within an electrochemical fuel cell stack has an anode layer and a cathode layer. A cooling layer is disposed adjacent the fuel cell assembly. Each layer comprises channels for directing a fluid stream from an inlet to a an outlet. The coolant stream channels extend such that, in operation, the coolest region of the cooling layer coincides with the region of the cathode layer having the highest concentration of oxygen (and/or the lowest water content), and the warmest region of the cooling layer coincides with the region of the cathode layer having the lowest concentration of oxygen (and/or the highest water content). The fuel stream channels extend such that, in operation, the fuel stream is directed to a region of the anode layer which coincides with the region of the cathode layer in which the oxidant stream has the lowest concentration of oxygen (and/or the highest water content) and is subsequently directed to a region of the anode layer which coincides with the region of the cathode layer in which the oxidant stream has the highest concentration of oxygen (and/or the lowest water content).

Electrochemical fuel cell stack with concurrent flow of coolant and

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Vancouver, Canada

Henry H Voss