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:
Sep. 22, 2009
Filed:
Nov. 24, 2004
Sozaburo Ohashi, Nagoya, JP;
Sozaburo Ohashi, Nagoya, JP;
Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyota, JP;
Abstract
In a membrane electrode assemblyof a fuel cell, the porosity of a hydrogen electrode-side catalyst layeris made to be lower than that of an air electrode-side catalyst layer. Specifically, the weight ratio of ion-exchange resin to carbon carriers of the hydrogen electrode-side catalyst layer is made to be larger than such ratio of the air electrode-side catalyst layer, the hydrogen electrode-side catalyst layer is allowed to contain an additive having a certain particle diameter or less, or the hydrogen electrode-side catalyst layer is formed by spraying a catalyst ink and the air electrode-side catalyst layer is formed by a transfer method. According to the present invention, the amount of hydrogen that permeates from the hydrogen electrode-side catalyst layer to the air electrode-side catalyst layer via an electrolyte membrane is reduced to suppress a direct hydrogen combustion reaction in the air electrode-side catalyst layer, thereby improving the fuel cell durability.