Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Reena L Datta

Thomas A Trabold

Gayatri Vyas Dadheech

Gayatri Vyas

Gerhard Winter

Kevin S Kidston

Richard H Blunk

Steven R Falta

Keith E Newman

Pinkhas A Rapaport

Richard A Marsh

Scott Lawrence Peters

Jeffrey M Guzda

Michael R Colville

Emily R Wu

Carol L Johnson

David A Smiljanich

A method for charging a plug-in electric vehicle with an external power source. In an exemplary embodiment, the method receives one or more utility rate preferences from a user, determines the utility rates of a local utility company, determines the total charging time needed to charge the plug-in electric vehicle, uses the utility rate preferences, the utility rates and the total charging time to develop several charging options that are presented to a user, and charges the plug-in electric vehicle according to the charging option selection made by the user.

Method for charging a plug-in electric vehicle

One embodiment disclosed includes a product comprising: a fuel cell component comprising a substrate and a first coating overlying the substrate, the coating comprising a compound comprising at least one Si&#x2014;O group, at least one polar group and at least one group including a saturated or unsaturated carbon chain.

Hydrophilic coating for fuel cell bipolar plate and methods of making the same

A method for conditioning one or more aspects of a vehicle, where a user may customize their vehicle by providing desired departure times and conditioning preferences so that the vehicle automatically wakes up, performs the requested conditioning, and is ready for operation by the requested departure time. Some examples of potential conditioning events include activating: a heated or cooled seat, a heated steering wheel, a heated engine block, a heated mirror, a cabin heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system, a heating or cooling element for a battery pack, a heating or cooling element for a battery charger, and a heating or cooling element for a fuel cell, to name a few.

Method for conditioning one or more aspects of a vehicle

A composite separator plate for use in an electrochemical fuel cell as well as a method of forming same is disclosed. The plate may be formed of polymeric material and electrically conductive material having a non-conductive polymeric outer layer by compression molding, or alternately of a metallic material having an outer metal oxide layer. Contact regions of the plate surface are subsequently ablated with a laser to remove the outer layer of material from the plate. The removal of the outer layer reduces the contact resistance of the plate when used in an electrochemical fuel cell stack, while offering adequate strength and corrosion resistance for the fuel cell stack environment.

Fuel cell separator plate surface treatment by laser ablation

A process comprising: depositing a coating on a fuel cell bipolar plate using plasma assisted chemical vapor deposition.

Process for application of a hydrophilic coating to fuel cell bipolar plates

Methods and materials to improve water management in a fuel cell by microtexturing fuel cell elements, including the separator plate and/or the gas diffusion media. A method of manufacturing a fuel cell includes a separator plate and/or a gas diffusion media that are microtextured. Selective ablation of material and stamping can impart microtexturing, where the microtexturing facilitates water management in the fuel cell.

Microtextured fuel cell elements for improved water management

A flow field plate or bipolar plate for a fuel cell that includes a hydrophilic coating formed on flow field channels extending through a tunnel region between a cell active area and the inlet and outlet manifolds. The flow field plates are an assembly of a cathode side unipolar plate and an anode side unipolar plate. The hydrophilic coating is deposited on the unipolar plates prior to the unipolar plates being assembled into the flow field plate so that line of site deposition processes can be used to coat the flow field channels in the tunnel region. The unipolar plates can be any suitable fuel cell unipolar plates, such as stamped unipolar plates or composite unipolar plates.

Bipolar plate hydrophilic treatment for stable fuel cell stack operation at low power

A method of making an electrically conductive element, particularly a bipolar plate for a fuel cell, comprises molding an element from a composite material comprising a polymer and an electrically conductive material to produce an element having a polymer-rich skin and removing at least a portion of the polymer-rich skin with a plasma.

Method of making bipolar plate

A method of making a fuel cell component using a mask, which is removed after further processing to yield a surface with variable properties.

Growing community of inventors

Rochester Hills, MI, United States of America

Reena L Datta