United Technologies Corporation

International Fuel Cells, LLC

Olin Corporation

Electric Power Research Institute Incorporated

Richard J Roethlein

Richard D Breault

Dan E Elmore

Anthony J DeCasperis

Glen J Goller

Joseph V Congdon

Peter A Danna

Richard A Holcomb

Gilbert C Sprecher

The edges of a porous substrate plate used in a fuel cell power plant are densified by impregnating a suspension of finely divided material in the interstitial spaces in the plate edges. The suspension, in the form of an 'ink' is forced into the plate edges via a pressure differential applied through the plate between two press blocks. The ink is forced into the plate after a catalyst layer has been applied to one surface of the substrate plate. The ink thus penetrates to the inner surface of the catalyst layer, and also forms an integral filler band outwardly of the catalyst layer, which filler band has a top surface which is coplanar with the top surface of the catalyst layer. After the impregnation step, the seals are dried to form a dense low porosity border on the substrate plates which will fill with electrolyte to form a wet seal that prevents gas crossover through the edges of the substrate plates.

Electrode substrate with integral edge seal and method of forming the

A porous fuel cell component, such as an electrode substrate, has a densified edge which forms an improved gas seal during operation when soaked with electrolyte. The edges are made from the same composition as the rest of the component and are made by compressing an increased thickness of this material along the edges during the fabrication process.

Densified edge seals for fuel cell components

An electrochemical cell including an electrolyte retaining matrix layer located between and in contact with cooperating anode and cathode electrodes is disclosed herein. Each of the electrodes is comprised of a ribbed (or grooved) substrate including a gas porous body as its main component and a catalyst layer located between the substrate and one side of the electrolyte retaining matrix layer. Each substrate body includes a ribbed section for receiving reactant gas and lengthwise side portions on opposite sides of the ribbed section. Each of the side portions includes a channel extending along its entire length from one surface thereof (e.g. its outer surface) to but stopping short of an opposite surface (e.g. its inner surface) so as to provide a web directly between the channel and the opposite surface. Each of the channels is filled with a gas impervious substance and each of the webs is impregnated with a gas impervious substance so as to provide a gas impervious seal along the entire length of each side portion of each substrate and between the opposite faces thereof (e.g. across the entire thickness thereof).

Electrochemical cell including ribbed electrode substrates

Method of forming densified edge seals for fuel cell components

A cooler assembly for a stack of fuel cells comprises a fibrous, porous coolant tube holder sandwiched between and bonded to at least one of a pair of gas impervious graphite plates. The tubes are disposed in channels which pass through the holder. The channels are as deep as the holder thickness, which is substantially the same as the outer diameter of the tubes. Gas seals along the edges of the holder parallel to the direction of the channels are gas impervious graphite strips.

Fuel cell cooler assembly and edge seal means therefor

A method of bonding film-forming metals and their alloys has been developed. The method comprises applying a first coating of a metal, compound, or alloy of the platinum metal group to the film-forming metal. A second coating of copper is then applied to the first coating. A second metal, such as steel, can then be readily soldered to the copper coating to form a strong, durable bond. This bonding method can be used, for example, to solder a titanium screen or mesh to an electroconductive metal in the assembly of electrolytic cells for the production of chlorine or oxychlorine compounds.

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Stafford Springs, CT, United States of America

Richard J Roethlein