Hydrogenics Corporation

Rami Michel Abouatallah

Nathaniel Ian Joos

Rainey Yu Wang

David Frank

Todd A Simpson

Mario Dzamarija

Sonia Quattrociocchi

Raymond Candido

An electrochemical cell has a membrane located between two flow field plates. On a first side of the membrane, there is a porous support surrounded by a seal between the membrane and the flow field plate. There is a gap between the porous support and the seal at the surface of the membrane. On a second side of the membrane, there is a seal between the membrane and the flow field plate located inside of the gap in plan view. The electrochemical cell is useful, for example, in high pressure or differential pressure electrolysis in which the second side of the membrane will be consistently exposed to a higher pressure than the first side of the membrane.

High or differential pressure electrolysis cell

An electrochemical cell has first and second flow fields on opposite sides of a membrane. The first flow field has a set of generally linear channels in which the flow of a fluid in the field is contained between parallel elongate ridges. The second flow field is defined by a set of parallel discontinuous ridges. Preferably most ridge segments in the second flow field are oblique, for example perpendicular, to and overlap with two or more ridges of the first flow field. The flow fields may be used in, for example, water electrolysis cells including high or differential pressure polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) electrolysis cells.

Flow fields for electrochemical cell

An electrochemical cell system is provided having: at least one electrochemical cell stack, each stack having at least one reactant fluid inlet; a pressure transmitter arranged in the at least one reactant fluid inlet of each stack; and a control unit for regulating the electrochemical cell system, the control unit receiving at least one signal value from the pressure transmitter indicative of the reactant fluid pressure. The control unit may compare the at least one signal value with a stored values and generate a leak indication based on the rate of pressure decay within the electrochemical cell system. A method of detecting and indicating a leak is also disclosed.

System and method for electrochemical cell system and leak detection and indication

An electrochemical cell assembly includes first and second flow field plates, first and second gas diffusion media disposed between the first and second flow field plates, and a membrane electrode assembly disposed between the first and second gas diffusion media. The membrane electrode assembly can include a proton exchange membrane, and a catalyst layer on the proton exchange membrane. The catalyst layout can be configured to omit the catalyst layer from a portion of the proton exchange membrane adjacent an edge region of one of the first and second gas diffusion media, thereby enabling at least a portion of the reactant fluid flow to first encounter a region of the membrane electrode assembly without the catalyst layer. The modified catalyst layout can improve reactant fluid flow along the membrane electrode assembly, reduce wear on the membrane electrode assembly and improve electrochemical cell efficiency during operation.

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Toronto, Canada

Rami Michel Abouatallah