Motorola Corporation

James L Davis

Robert W Pennisi

Thomas J Swirbel

John K Arledge

Fadia Nounou

Bobby Dean Landreth

Robert J Mulligan

Melanie Williams

Sivakumar Muthuswamy

Anthony B Suppelsa

Steven Duane Pratt

Ashish Dubey

Ronald James Kelley

William A Frank

Timothy D Tonyan

Toney K Cummins

Michael J Roth

William F Heard

Pamela G Kinnebrew

Glenn F Urbish

Kumar C Natesaiyer

Marc V Papageorge

Richard J Kolcz

Kevin J Pieper

Lara J Martin

Ernest G Garza

Lonnie L Barnardoni

Mark D Newton

Kimberly A Williams

Brian H Lee

Roger K Callanan

Robin V Crawford

Ryan Stinson

A very thin fuel cell (500) is formed by stacking a plurality of membrane electrode assemblies (MEA) (210) and a plurality of double sided distribution plates (220). The distribution plates serve to distribute fuel and oxidant to the MEAs, and they are electrically and thermally conductive and gas impermeable, and have fuel and oxidant distribution channels formed on opposite sides. The oxidant flowing through the oxidant distribution channels also provides thermal management to the fuel cell, eliminating the need for a separate heat exchange system. The MEAs and the distribution plates are arranged in an alternating stack (200) such that the fuel distribution channel side (315) is in intimate and direct contact with the MEA anode (212), and such that the oxidant distribution channel (415) is in intimate and direct contact with the MEA cathode (214). The distribution plate acts as a bipolar plate and also as a heat exchanger.

Fuel cell

A fuel cell (30) has an internal fuel source (35) that is in a matrix around a membrane electrode assembly (29). The membrane electrode assembly is constructed to be generally formed in the shape of a solid cylinder. The fuel cell has a porous central core (22) of reticulated vitreous metal that is formed in the shape of a solid cylinder. The porous central core serves to distribute oxidant throughout the fuel cell. A cathode (23) is situated coaxially around the porous central core, and has a catalytic layer on the outer side. A solid polymer electrolyte (25) is situated coaxially around the cathode and in intimate contact with the catalytic layer. An anode (27) is situated coaxially around the electrolyte, and a second layer of catalytic material is situated between the electrolyte and the anode. A housing (31) contains the internal fuel supply and holds the membrane electrode assemblies in place.

Fuel cell with integral fuel storage

An optical waveguide (5) for use in the in the visible range, the infrared range or the ultraviolet range. The waveguide has two cholesteric liquid crystal polymer layers (10) positioned parallel to each other, forming a gap between them. When electrically modulated to an `on` state, one or more of the cholesteric liquid crystal polymer layers become optically reflective, so that the waveguide becomes internally reflective, allowing a light beam (15) to be transmitted along the waveguide. The liquid crystal polymer is optically non-reflective when electrically modulated to an `off` state. The cholesteric liquid crystal polymer layers are each disposed on a substrate (30) having an electrically conductive layer (35) disposed between the substrate and the cholesteric liquid crystal polymer. A modulating means impresses an electrical signal upon the cholesteric liquid crystal polymer layers to convert them from the optically reflective state to the optically non-reflective state.

Optical waveguide using cholesteric liquid crystal polymer

An antenna (100) includes a radiating element (202) covered with a protective jacket having at least one pocket selectively located therein. The at least one pocket (102) is filled with a material (105) having an absorptive index substantially higher than the index of the protective jacket (102). This material imposes substantial restriction to the free radiation of radio frequency energy. Conversely, the remainder of the jacket (102) with no pockets provides for the unrestricted radiation of the radio frequency energy therethrough. As a result the antenna (100) directionally radiates energy without the use of reflectors or additional radiating elements.

Antenna with absorptive radiation shield

A voltage variable capacitor (VVC) is made by placing an intercalation compound between two electrodes of a capacitor. The VVC has a reservoir of an intercalant in proximity with the intercalation compound. The two materials are chosen from those known to exhibit the intercalation reaction. The extent of the intercalation reaction is controlled by applying a voltage to the intercalant reservoir and the intercalation compound. A variable capacitor is created by applying a signal to the device and appropriately controlling the .epsilon. of the device by using the input control voltages.

Intercalation-based voltage variable capacitor

A communication device is designed to contain the lowest possible level of toxic or hazardous materials, so that when it is eventually disposed of, it will not harm the environment and can be safely recycled. Each component A.sub.1, A.sub.2, . . . , A.sub.n in the communication device has a calculated Component Toxicity Index value. A Product Toxicity Index for the entire communication device is calculated by summing the individual Component Toxicity Index values. The desired outcome is a communication device having a Product Toxicity Index less than or equal to 100. The resulting communication device is referred to as 'environmentally friendly'. The communication device may be a two-way radio (10), and some of the components are a radio transmitter (12), a radio receiver (14), an antenna (16), an amplifier (18), a battery (20) and a housing (22).

Communication device having a reduced level of hazardous substances

A sulfuric acid-free fuel composition for use in liquid feed polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells. The fuel composition is a solution of water, methanol and formic acid. The methanol is present in concentrations between 0.5 and 15 molar and the formic acid is present in concentrations between 0.01% and 20%. No corrosive mineral acids are present in the fuel.

Fuel for liquid feed fuel cells

An antenna (10) includes a radiating element (20) covered with a protective cover having a high dielectric constant polymer gel (15) located therein. The gel has a dielectric constant greater than 5, and is formed by swelling a polymer that has polar functional groups with a solvent that has a high dielectric constant. The gel is covered with a jacket (14) to contain the gel and provide physical protection.

Antenna for a two-way radio

A voltage variable capacitor (VVC) is made by placing an intercalation compound between two electrodes of a capacitor. The VVC has a reservoir of an intercalant in proximity with the intercalation compound. The two materials are chosen from those known to exhibit the intercalation reaction. The extent of the intercalation reaction is controlled by applying a voltage to the intercalant reservoir and the intercalation compound. A variable capacitor is created by applying a signal to the device and appropriately controlling the .di-elect cons. of the device by using the input control voltages.

An ultracapacitor having two porous organic membrane electrodes is made from microporous polymer substrates (10). The surface of the polymer substrate and the walls of the micropores (30) are coated with metal oxides. Both sides of the substrate can be coated with the conductive materials. The film can be a carboxylic ion-exchange material dispersed in a microporous copolymer matrix, and the film can be supported on a woven nylon substrate. The two electrodes (82, 84) are situated substantially parallel to each other, with the coated surface of one electrode facing the coated surface of the other electrode. An ionic electrolyte solution (89) fills the gap (86) between the electrodes.

Electrical energy storage device having a porous organic electrode

Ferrite films are formed by reactively sputtering elemental iron in an oxygen-containing plasma to deposit a layer of iron oxide (14) on a ceramic substrate (12). A dopant layer (16) of a transition metal-oxide is reactively sputtered onto the iron oxide layer from a target of a transition metal, such as nickel or zinc, using an oxygen-containing plasma. The substrate, the layer of iron oxide and the dopant layer are all heated under conditions sufficient to diffuse the dopant layer into the layer of iron oxide, thereby forming a doped ferrite thin film (20). The resulting doped ferrite film can be FeFe.sub.2 O.sub.4, NiFe.sub.2 O.sub.4, (NiZn)Fe.sub.2 O.sub.4, or ZnFe.sub.2 O.sub.4.

Doped ferrite film

A method of forming electrode patterns on a substrate. A substrate (30) is patterned with a photoresist layer (14) on the front side so that portions (18) of the substrate are revealed. A metal oxide layer (32) is deposited on the patterned photoresist layer and the revealed portions of the substrate. The patterned photoresist layer is then flood exposed to actinic radiation (19). The photoresist pattern (20) is removed, carrying with it those portions of the metal oxide layer deposited on the photoresist layer, forming an electrode pattern (22) by a lift-off technique.

Method for fabricating electrode patterns

Method of depositing ferrite film

An electrical energy storage device (10). An electrode (12) consisting of a thin film of metal or metal oxide is deposited on a substrate (24), preferably by sputtering. Spherical plastic spacers (16) are uniformly dispersed on the electrode at a maximum density of about 1000 spacers per square millimeter of the electrode area. A second substrate also has an electrode (14) formed of a thin film of metal or metal oxide deposited on it, similar to the first substrate. The first and second substrates are arranged so that the electrodes face each other and are separated by the spherical plastic spacers to form a gap (18) of about 20 microns between the electrodes. An electrolyte (20) is filled in the gap, and the edges of the gap are optionally sealed (22) to form the electrical energy storage device. The device may also be formed by using metal foils, and eliminating one or more of the substrates. In both cases, the use of an electrolyte is optional.

Thin film electrical energy storage device

A method of forming electrode patterns on a substrate. A transparent substrate (10) is patterned with a photoresist layer (14) on the front side so that portions (18) of the substrate are revealed. A metal oxide layer (12) is deposited on the patterned photoresist layer and the revealed portions of the substrate. The patterned photoresist layer is then exposed to actinic radiation (19) through the back side (25) of the transparent substrate. The photoresist pattern (20) is removed, carrying with it those portions of the metal oxide layer deposited on the photoresist layer, forming an electrode pattern (22) by a lift-off technique.

Growing community of inventors

Coral Springs, FL, United States of America

James L Davis