Angstrom Power Incorporated

Intelligent Energy Inc.

Ballard Power Systems Corporation

Olen Richard Vanderleeden

Gerard Francis McLean

Duhane Lam

Russell H Barton

Richard A Langan

Guanghong Zheng

Jason L Stimits

Chad E Law

Thomas J Kmetich

Allison M Fisher

David P Wilkinson

Anna Stukas

Joerg Zimmerman

Joerg Zimmermann

Jeremy Schrooten

Jean-Louis Iaconis

Mark Christian Johnson

Denis J Connor

Mehrzad Tabatabaian

James T Dudley

Alvin Lee

John T Kenna

Martin Lagroix

Gerard F Mclean

The present invention relates to electrically conductive paths in planar substrates. Various embodiments provide a method of forming one or more electrically conductive paths in a planar substrate, wherein substantially none of the substrate is removed during formation of the path. In various embodiments, by avoiding the removal of substrate during formation of the electrically conductive path, problems caused by residual substrate material can be advantageously avoided. In various embodiments, the planar substrate with the electrically conductive path can be used to make a planar fuel cell array.

Methods of forming fuel cell layers

Portable electronic devices such as portable telephones, portable computers and the like may obtain power from fuel cells that consume fuel from fuel reservoirs of the portable devices. A network of fueling stations permits users of portable devices to main the devices operational by frequently topping up the fuel reservoirs. Payment systems combine payments for fuel with larger payments for other transactions to avoid the overhead of processing individual payments for very small amounts.

Replenishing fuel cell powered portable devices

A hydrogen generator and a fuel cell system including a fuel cell battery and the hydrogen generator. The hydrogen generator includes a cartridge, a housing with a cavity to removably contain the cartridge, and an initiation system. The cartridge includes a casing; a plurality of pellets including a hydrogen containing material; a plurality of solid heat transfer members in contact with but not penetrating the casing; a hydrogen outlet in the casing; and a hydrogen flow path from each pellet to the hydrogen outlet. A plurality of heating elements is disposed inside the housing. When the cartridge is in the cavity, each heating element is disposed so heat can be conducted from the heating element and through the casing and corresponding heat transfer member to initiate the release of hydrogen gas. The initiation system can selectively heat one or more pellets to release hydrogen gas as needed.

Hydrogen generator

Methods for generating hydrogen gas and power and related systems, including a hydrogen generator and a fuel cell system. The hydrogen generator includes a cartridge, a housing with a cavity to removably contain the cartridge, and an initiation system. The cartridge includes a casing; a plurality of pellets including a hydrogen containing material; a plurality of solid heat transfer members in contact with but not penetrating the casing; a hydrogen outlet in the casing; and a hydrogen flow path from each pellet to the hydrogen outlet. A plurality of heating elements is disposed inside the housing. Each heating element is disposed so heat can be conducted from the heating element through the casing to corresponding heat transfer member to initiate the release of hydrogen gas. The initiation system can selectively heat one or more pellets. Hydrogen gas can be provided to a fuel cell battery to generate power.

Methods of generating hydrogen gas and power

The compact chemical reactor with a central axis includes at least two unit reactors disposed adjacent to each other to form front and back sides of the compact chemical reactor; a front and back reactant plenum communicating with the front and back side respectively; at least one of the plenums comprises a reactant; and unit reactors comprising: a front cavity between front and back process layers; a back cavity between back and front process layers of adjacent unit reactors; the process layers facilitate transport processes between reactant plenums; each cavity communicates with one side of the compact chemical reactor; a front and back perimeter barrier on the back and front process layers respectfully, substantially surrounding respective cavities. At least one of the unit reactors comprise at least one frame formed from one of the process layers, at least one of the perimeter barriers, and at least one of the cavities.

Compact chemical reactor with reactor frame

The methods include steps for making a fuel cell layer, making a compact chemical reactor with high aspect ratio cavities from components with low aspect ratio cavities, and forming of a high aspect ratio compact chemical reactor using low aspect ratio layers. The methods entail forming at least two process layers; forming a perimeter barrier on at least one side of one of the process layers creating an intermediate assembly with at least one low aspect ratio cavity; repeating the initial steps to create additional intermediate assemblies with at least one low aspect ratio cavity; joining intermediate assemblies to create a compact chemical reactor with high aspect ratio cavities; and joining the compact chemical reactor with high aspect ratio cavities to two reactant plenums to facilitate a transport process between reactant plenums and process layers.

Method for making compact chemical reactors

A fuel cell layer and methods for making a fuel cell layer comprising at least one fuel cell in communication with first reactant plenum and second reactant plenum, wherein one of the reactant plenums contains oxidant and the other reactant plenum contains fuel. The fuel cell comprises a gas barrier region formed by disposing gas barrier material on a substrate; a second region having a first port formed on the gas barrier; a first gas diffusion electrode having a first seal disposed around the electrode; an electrolyte region formed by disposing electrolyte material on the second region; a fourth region having a second port formed on the electrolyte region; a second gas diffusion electrode having a second seal disposed around the electrode, wherein the second and fourth regions are in communication with the electrolyte region, and the gas barrier region separates the first reactant plenum from the second reactant plenum.

Thin-layer fuel cell structure

The present invention relates to a fuel cell layer with frames with a central axis comprising: at least a first and second unit fuel cell, wherein the first and second unit fuel cells are disposed adjacent each other to form a front side and back side of the fuel cell layer; a front plenum comprising fuel communicating with the front side; and a back oxidant plenum comprising fuel communicating with the back side, and wherein each unit fuel cell comprises: a front and back process layer; a front and back cavity formed between the back process layers and the front process layer of adjacent unit fuel cells; a front perimeter barrier disposed on the back process layer substantially surrounding the back cavity; and a back perimeter barrier disposed on the front process layer substantially surrounding the front cavity and wherein the front cavity is in communication with the front side and the back cavity is in communication with the back side and wherein at least one of process layers facilitates a transport process between the reactant plenums; and wherein at least one of the unit fuel cells comprise at least one frame formed from one of the process layers, at least one of the perimeter barriers, and at least one of the cavities; and a process layer; at least one perimeter barrier disposed on the process layer; and at least one cavity formed in each reactor frame, wherein each cavity is in communication with one side of the fuel cell layer, and wherein at least one of the process layers transports ions between the plenums.

Fuel cell layer with reactor frame

The invention relates to a method making a compact chemical reactor with high aspect ratio cavities comprising the steps: forming at least one intermediate assembly, consisting of: at least one frame comprising: a process layer, a perimeter barrier and at least one low aspect ratio cavity; at least one frame comprising: a process layer, two perimeter barriers, and at least two low aspect ratio cavities disposed on a second process layer; at least one layer comprising a perimeter barrier formed on one side of a process layer with at least one low aspect ratio cavity; or combinations of (i) and (iii) joined together; joining at least two intermediate assemblies together to create a compact chemical reactor with at least one high aspect ratio cavity; and joining the compact chemical reactor with at least one high aspect ratio cavity to two reactant plenums to facilitate a transport process between the reactant plenums and the process layers.

Method for forming compact chemical reactors with reactor frames

The fuel cell layer with a central axis includes a first and a second unit fuel cell, an oxidant plenum comprising an oxidant; and a fuel plenum comprises a fuel; and each unit fuel cell comprises: a first and second process layer; a first cavity and second cavity formed between the first and second process layer and a first process layer of an adjacent unit fuel cell; a first perimeter barrier disposed on the second process layer substantially surrounding the second cavity; a second perimeter barrier disposed on the first process layer substantially surrounding the first cavity forming a unit fuel cell comprising a front face and back face; the first cavity is in communication with the oxidant plenum; the second cavity is in communication with the fuel plenum; wherein at least one of the process layers transports ions between the first and second cavities.

Compact fuel cell layer

The compact chemical reactor includes one or more unit reactors, a front reactant plenum, and a back reactant plenum. Each unit reactor is made of a front and back process layer, a front and back cavity, and a front and back perimeter barrier. The resulting assemblage is configured so the front cavity is in communication with the front side of the compact chemical reactor and the back cavity is in communication with the back side of the compact chemical reactor. The process layers facilitate an exchange of reactants between the reactant plenums.

Compact chemical reactor

Electrochemically inactive separators may be employed at the periphery of membrane electrode assemblies in fuel cells (such as solid polymer electrolyte fuel cells) to separate the various fluids within (for example, reactants, coolant). Complex fluid distribution features may be incorporated into these separators, thereby desirably simplifying the design and manufacture of other fuel cell components, such as the flow field plates employed to distribute fluids to the cell electrodes. This is particularly advantageous in fuel cells comprising thin, corrugated flow field plates. The separators may be bonded to the membrane electrode assemblies to form convenient, unitary structures.

Growing community of inventors

Coquitlam, Canada

Olen Richard Vanderleeden