Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Swathy Swathirajan

Belabbes Merzougui

Ion C Halalay

Gregory Charles Garabedian

Youssef Morcos Mikhail

Michael P Balogh

Gary L Doll

Stephen Joel Harris

Michael Kevin Carpenter

Yang Li

Wen Jin Meng

Mei Cai

Gayatri Vyas

Paul Taichiang Yu

Andrew Mark Mance

Yang T Cheng

John T Johnson

Jon C Halalay

One embodiment of the invention includes a product comprising: a membrane electrolyte having a first face and a second face; and an anode over the first face and a cathode over the second face, and wherein the anode has a catalyst loading that is less than 50% of the catalyst loading of the cathode.

Fuel cell and method for reducing electrode degradation during startup and shutdown cycles

The incorporation of tungsten-containing hydrogen spillover materials into a composite fuel cell anode can be helpful in preserving the carbon catalyst support materials in the fuel cell cathode during periods of hydrogen starvation. Preferred examples of such tungsten-containing hydrogen spillover materials are tungsten oxides and tungsten silicides. These materials, when physically mixed with catalyst-loaded carbon support particles in a composite anode, have shown the ability to promote hydrogen storage in amounts that, during a disruption of hydrogen gas flow, can postpone an anodic potential excursion into the oxygen evolution region for a period of at least several seconds.

Tungsten-containing hydrogen-storage materials for anodes of PEM fuel cells

An electrocatalyst for fuel cell applications includes a catalyst support and a noble metal or noble metal-based alloy catalyst supported upon the catalyst support. The catalyst support characteristically includes a Group IV-VI transition metal silicide with or without the mixing of carbon. A fuel cell incorporating the electrocatalyst into the anode and/or cathode is disclosed. Such fuel cell exhibit improved cycling and operating performance.

Supports for fuel cell catalysts based on transition metal silicides

The durability of a fuel cell having a polymer electrolyte membrane with an anode on one surface and an oxygen-reducing cathode on the other surface is improved by replacing conductive carbon matrix materials in an electrode with a matrix of electrically conductive metal compound particles. The electrode includes a catalyst supported on a nanosize metal oxides and electrically conductive nanosize matrix particles of a metal compound. One or more metal compounds such as a boride, carbide, nitride, silicide, carbonitride, oxyboride, oxycarbide, or oxynitride of a metal such as cobalt, chromium, nickel, molybdenum, neodymium niobium, tantalum, titanium, tungsten, vanadium, and zirconium is suitable. For example, the combination of platinum particles deposited on titanium dioxide support particles mixed in a conductive matrix of titanium carbide particles provides an electrode with good oxygen reduction capability and corrosion resistance in an acid environment.

Conductive matrices for fuel cell electrodes

The durability of a fuel cell having a polymer electrolyte membrane with an anode on one surface and an oxygen-reducing cathode on the other surface is improved by substituting electrically conductive titanium carbide or titanium nitride particles for carbon particles as oxygen-reducing and hydrogen-oxidizing catalyst supports. For example nanosize platinum particles deposited on nanosize titanium carbide or titanium nitride support particles provide good oxygen reduction capability and are corrosion resistant in an acid environment. It is preferred that the catalyst-on-titanium carbide (nitride) particles be mixed with non-catalyst-bearing carbon in the electrode material for improved electrode performance.

Supports for fuel cell catalysts

An integrated hybrid electrochemical device comprising a nickel-metal hydride battery and an alkaline H&#x2014;O/air fuel cell together sharing a common alkali metal electrolyte in a housing common to both. In one embodiment, the NiMH battery and alkaline fuel cell electrodes share only the same electrolyte. According to another embodiment, the battery and fuel cell electrodes not only share the same electrolyte, but also share common reactant supply plenums as well. In another embodiment, the battery and fuel cell electrodes share a common electrolyte, common reactant (i.e. Hand Oor air) supply plenums, and common current collectors.

Integrated hybrid electrochemical device

An electrode structure for an electrochemical cell is formed by forming a mixture comprising proton-conductive material and carbon particles, applying the mixture to a current collector sheet to form a film, and dispersing a catalyst in the form of metallic polycrystals in a thin layer on the exposed surface of the film. This method produces an electrode having significantly increased catalyst utilization, dramatic reduction of catalyst loading, and which is consequently less expensive to produce than electrodes produced by prior art methods. A combination electrolyte and electrode structure for an electrochemical cell is produced by hot-pressing an electrode of the above-described composition into contact with a proton-conductive polymer electrolyte membrane.

Electrode and membrane-electrode assemblies for electrochemical cells

There is provided an electrode structure comprising a current collector sheet and first and second layers of electrode material. Together, the layers improve catalyst utilization and water management.

Layered electrode for electrochemical cells

The present invention contemplates a PEM fuel cell having electrical contact elements (including bipolar plates/septums) comprising a titanium nitride coated light weight metal (e.g., Al or Ti) core, having a passivating, protective metal layer intermediate the core and the titanium nitride. The protective layer forms a barrier to further oxidation/corrosion when exposed to the fuel cell's operating environment. Stainless steels rich in CR, Ni, and Mo are particularly effective protective interlayers.

Growing community of inventors

West Bloomfield, MI, United States of America

Swathy Swathirajan