Ballard Power Systems Corporation

Daimler Chrysler Ag

Bdf IP Holdings Ltd.

Peter Urban

Gabor Toth

Hubertus Biegert

Peter Britz

Arnold Lamm

Kevin M Colbow

Jiujun Zhang

Jens M&uuml;ller

Regina Wezel

David P Wilkinson

Jean St-Pierre

Joy A Roberts

Gerald Hornburg

Cindy J Longley

Marian E Van Der Geest

Gabriele St&auml;b

Gabriele D St&auml;b

The invention relates to an ion-conductive polymer membrane for a fuel cell, whereby the polymer membrane is configured from a polymer-forming hydrocarbon material and to a method for producing the same. The membrane also has a metal-containing gel which has been hydrolysed and/or condensed from a metal alkoxide starting material and which is deposited in the polymer and/or is chemically bonded to the polymer. The proportion of metal alkoxide by weight, in relation to the membrane, lies between 25% and 1%.

Method for producing a membrane for a fuel cell

Membrane for a fuel cell and method for producing the same

Low temperature fuel cells, e.g. solid polymer fuel cells, can operate directly on a fuel comprising dimethyl ether with dimethyl ether being oxidized at the fuel cell anode. Being highly soluble in water, dimethyl ether can be supplied as a liquid aqueous fuel solution. As a fuel, dimethyl ether provides similar power characteristics as methanol but typically with a greater Faradaic efficiency in liquid feed solid polymer fuel cells.

Direct dimethyl ether fuel cells

A method for producing a catalytic converter includes depositing a layer of catalytically active metallic material by electrochemical deposition on a planar substrate by immersing the substrate in an electrolyte that contains the catalytically active metallic material. A high overvoltage at which a large number of seeds of the metallic material are formed on the substrate is set for a predetermined first time period between the substrate and the opposing electrode. The overvoltage is reduced for a predetermined second time period to a value at which the seeds which are deposited in the first time period grow on the substrate.

Catalytic converter and method for producing a catalytic converter

A fuel cell includes at least one cell that contains a proton-conducting polymer electrolyte membrane, which separates an anode compartment and a cathode compartment. The membrane is comprised of a thermoplastic polymer that has a permanent service temperature of at least 100&deg; C.

Fuel cell with polymer electrolyte membrane

An electrochemical fuel cell is operated with periodic reactant starvation at either or both electrodes. Periodic reactant starvation conditions cause a change in the potential of the starved electrode and may result in the removal of electrocatalyst poisons and in improved fuel cell performance. This technique may have other beneficial effects at the electrodes, including performance improvements due to water management effects or localized heating effects at the starved electrode. In a preferred method, while successive localized portions of a fuel cell electrode are periodically reactant starved, the remainder of the fuel cell electrode remains electrochemically active and saturated with reactant such that the fuel cell is able to continue to generate power.

Method and apparatus for operating an electrochemical fuel cell with periodic reactant starvation

In a process for manufacturing an electrode for a PEM fuel cell or an electrochemical energy converter, an ion-exchange polymer is applied to one face of an electrode substrate. An electrocatalyst is then applied to the substrate by electrochemical deposition, preferably from a solution containing one or more complexes or salts of the electrocatalyst. The electrochemical deposition occurs by application of a voltage between a pair of electrodes, one of which is the electrode under preparation. The voltage between the two electrodes is controlled by controlling the potential of the working electrode. A pulsed voltage profile is applied across the two electrodes during the electrodeposition process.

Process for the manufacture of an electrode for a solid polymer fuel cell

A fuel cell system has an anode space and a cathode space which are separated from one another by a proton-conducting membrane, and an oxygen-containing gas flows through the cathode space. According to the invention, it is suggested to admit to the anode space a liquid fuel/coolant mixture, preferably a methanol/water mixture. By means of this combination of the fuel circulation and the coolant circulation, the system can be manufactured in a more compact and lower-cost manner.

Fuel cell system

Growing community of inventors

Amberg, Germany

Peter Urban