Utc Fuel Cells, LLC

Audi Ag

International Fuel Cells, LLC

Utc Power Corporation

United Technologies Corporation

Doosan Fuel Cell America, Inc.

Ballard Power Systems Corporation

Kenney, Frank E.

Ned Emidio Cipollini

David A Condit

Thomas D Jarvi

Jared B Hertzberg

Michael L Perry

Richard D Breault

Sergei F Burlatsky

James A Leistra

Sathya Motupally

Thomas Harry Madden

Timothy W Patterson

Roger R Lesieur

Lesia V Protsailo

Sridhar V Kanuri

Kishore Kumar Tenneti

Wayde R Schmidt

Lei Chen

Donald F Szydlowski

Mallika Gummalla

Lawrence J Bregoli

Zebulon D Vance, Jr

Carl Anthony Reiser

Robert Mason Darling

Albert P Grasso

Antonio M Vincitore

Douglas J Wheeler

Donald L Maricle

Tommy Skiba

Richard D Sawyer

Jung S Yi

Leonard J Bonville

Gennady Resnick

Margaret M Steinbugler

Sonia Tulyani

Glenn Michael Allen

Thomas F Fuller

Jay Garow

Jonathan Puhalski

Chi-Hum Paik

John A S Bett

Timothy A Bekkedahl

Marianne Pemberton

Andrew Haug

Chi H Paik

Frank E Kenney, Iii

A membrane electrode assembly includes an anode, a cathode, a membrane disposed between the anode and the cathode, a catalyzed layer in at least one position selected from the group consisting of between the cathode and the membrane and between the anode and the membrane, and an edge seal positioned along an edge of the membrane electrode assembly, wherein the membrane and the catalyzed layer extends into the edge seal.

MEA seal structure containing catalyzed layer

An illustrative example cell stack assembly includes a plurality of fuel cells that each include a cathode electrode, an anode electrode and a matrix for holding a liquid acid electrolyte. The electrodes have lateral outside edges that are generally coplanar. A plurality of separator plates are respectively between the cathode electrode of one of the fuel cells and the anode electrode of an adjacent one of the fuel cells. The separator plates have lateral outside edges that are generally coplanar with the lateral outside edges of the electrodes. A plurality of barriers along at least one of the lateral outside edges of respective ones of the separator plates extend outwardly beyond the lateral outside edges of the electrodes and separator plates. The barriers inhibit acid migration between one of the electrodes on one side of the barrier and one of the electrodes on an opposite side of the barrier.

Preventing migration of liquid electrolyte out of a fuel cell

A stack () of fuel cells () is manufactured with barriers () to prevent migration of a liquid electrolyte (such as phosphoric acid) out of the cells (). The barrier () is secured within a step () formed within a land region () of a separator plate assembly () and extends from an edge () of the separator plate assembly () all or a portion of a distance between the edge () and a flow channel () defined within the separator plate assembly (). The barrier () also extends away from the edge () a distance of between 0.051 and about 2.0 millimeters (about 2 and about 80 mils. The barrier () includes a hydrophobic, polymeric film (), a pressure sensitive adhesive () as an assembly aid, and a fluoroelastomer bonding agent ().

Manufacture of a fuel cell with liquid electrolyte migration prevention

A membrane electrode assembly is provided which includes an anode; a cathode; a membrane between the anode and the cathode; and a protective layer between the membrane and at least one electrode of the anode and the cathode, the protective layer having a layer of ionomer material containing a catalyst, the layer having a porosity of between 0 and 10%, an ionomer content of between 50 and 80% vol., a catalyst content of between 10 and 50% vol., and an electrical connectivity between catalyst particles of between 35 and 75%. A configuration using a precipitation layer to prevent migration of catalyst ions is also provided.

Protective and precipitation layers for PEM fuel cell

A stack () of fuel cells () is provided with barriers () to prevent migration of a liquid electrolyte (such as phosphoric acid) out of the cells (). The barrier () is secured within a step () defined within a land region () of a separator plate assembly () and extends from an edge () of the separator plate assembly () all or a portion of a distance between the edge () and a flow channel () defined within the separator plate assembly (). The barrier () also extends away from the edge () a distance of between 0.051 and 2.0 millimeters (2 and 80 mils). The barrier () includes a hydrophobic, polymeric film (), a pressure sensitive adhesive (), as an assembly aid, and a fluoroelastomer bonding agent ().

A device () for use in a fuel cell includes a fuel-cell flow-field channel () having a channel-inlet section () and a channel-outlet section (). At least one of the channel-inlet section () or the channel-outlet section () includes an obstruction member () that partially blocks flow through the fuel-cell flow-field channel ().

Fuel cell flow field channel with partially closed end

A membrane electrode assembly includes an anode including a hydrogen oxidation catalyst; a cathode; a membrane disposed between the anode and the cathode; and a peroxide decomposition catalyst positioned in at least one position selected from the group consisting of a layer between the anode and the membrane and a layer between the cathode and the membrane wherein the peroxide decomposition catalyst has selectivity when exposed to hydrogen peroxide toward reactions which form benign products from the hydrogen peroxide. The peroxide decomposition catalyst can also be positioned within the membrane. Also disclosed is a power-generating fuel cell system including such a membrane electrode assembly, and a process for operating such a fuel cell system. The assembly components contain ionomer material which can be perfluorinated or non-perfluorinated, high temperature, hydrocarbon, and the like.

Membrane electrode assemblies with hydrogen peroxide decomposition catalyst

An example fuel cell device includes an electrode assembly having two gas diffusion layers (GDLs). One GDL is adjacent to the anode electrode and the other GDL is adjacent to the cathode electrode. Seals on the periphery of the GDLs are configured to block reactant gases from direct mixing within the GDLs. Sealing the perimeter of the GDLs blocks liquid-water flow from exiting the gas diffusion layer. The disclosed example provides an opening in the seal near a fluid exit area of the fuel cell that provides a path for communicating water from the active area through a perimeter portion of the GDL. An example method of managing fluid in a fuel cell includes providing an opening in a perimeter seal of a GDL of the fuel cell. The method communicates a fluid through a channel in the plate and moves water through the opening using the fluid.

Fuel cell water management arrangement

An exemplary method of treating a material such as carbon or graphite to render at least some surfaces of the material hydrophilic includes coating at least a portion of the at least some surfaces with an oxygenated element and controlling a rate of a breakdown of the oxygenated element to leave a corresponding elemental oxide on the surfaces. In one example, the material is treated before being incorporated into an article comprising the material. Another example method includes treating an article comprising the material. Disclosed examples include precipitation or decomposition as the breakdown of the oxygenated element.

Method of treating a material to achieve sufficient hydrophilicity for making hydrophilic articles

A membrane electrode assembly includes an anode, a cathode, a membrane disposed between the anode and the cathode, wherein at least one of the anode, cathode and membrane contains a hydrocarbon ionomer, and an electrode catalyst disposed in at least one of the anode and the cathode, wherein the catalyst is a metal alloy catalyst.

Alloy catalysts for extending life of fuel cell membranes and ionomer

A method for making a membrane electrode assembly includes the steps of providing a membrane electrode assembly including an anode including a hydrogen oxidation catalyst; a cathode; a membrane disposed between the anode and the cathode; and depositing a peroxide decomposition catalyst in at least one position selected from the group consisting of the anode, the cathode, a layer between the anode and the membrane and a layer between the cathode and the membrane wherein the peroxide decomposition catalyst has selectivity when exposed to hydrogen peroxide toward reactions which form benign products from the hydrogen peroxide. The peroxide decomposition catalyst can also be positioned within the membrane. Also disclosed is a power-generating fuel cell system including such a membrane electrode assembly, and a process for operating such a fuel cell system.

Method for preparing membranes and membrane electrode assemblies with hydrogen peroxide decomposition catalyst

A fuel stabilization device reduces the amount of dissolved oxygen within a fuel stream utilizing the combination of an electrochemical device to produce hydrogen gas and water and a catalyst that promotes the formation of water utilizing dissolved oxygen within the fuel and hydrogen gas generated by the electrochemical device.

Electrochemical deoxygenation of fuel by electrolysis

A fuel stabilization unit includes an electrochemical device for promoting the formation of water utilizing oxygen from a fuel stream for generating an oxygen partial pressure differential across an oxygen permeable membrane.

Electrochemical oxygen pump for fuel stabilization unit

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Enfield, CT, United States of America

Ned Emidio Cipollini