The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 30, 2025
Filed:
Sep. 20, 2023
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Plano, TX (US);
Gaohua Zhu, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Shailesh N. Joshi, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., Plano, TX (US);
Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyota, JP;
Abstract
A bipolar plate-gas diffusion layer (GDL) assembly for a polymer-electrolyte-membrane (PEM) fuel cell includes a flat metallic bipolar plate and a porous metal GDL with superhydrophilic surfaces adjacent to and in direct contact with the flat metallic bipolar plate. The porous metal GDL includes flow channels defined by flow channels walls with flow channel surfaces. The flow channel walls and flow channel surfaces have an average porosity generally equal to an average porosity of an interior of the porous metal GDL and the superhydrophilic surfaces provide enhanced water removal from the PEM fuel cell.