Macroporous flow field assembly

Chemistry: electrical current producing apparatus – product – and – With pressure equalizing means for liquid immersion operation

Reexamination Certificate

Rate now

  [ 0.00 ] – not rated yet Voters 0   Comments 0

Details

C429S006000, C429S006000, C429S047000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06312845

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to electrochemical fuel cells and, more particularly, to fuel cell membrane electrode assemblies and the flow field structures adjacent thereto.
Electrochemical fuel cells generate electrical current through the oxidation of a fuel. One type of fuel cell employs a membrane electrode assembly (“MEA”) including a membrane having an anode side and cathode side, depending on the direction of the current with respect thereto. The membrane itself serves as an electrolyte. A suitable catalyst for the electrochemical reaction is applied to the membrane, or is incorporated into the polymeric composition from which the membrane is prepared. Alternatively, the catalyst is applied to carbon fiber paper, which is then laminated to the membrane to form the membrane electrode assembly.
Located on both sides of the MEA is a flow field which typically consists of a graphite plate which has been machined to provide a series of channels on its surface, as shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,300,370 and 5,230,966. The channels transport fuel to the anode side and oxidant to the cathode side, and transport reaction products primarily from the cathode side, and are typically separated from the membrane electrode assembly by a thin layer of a porous carbon material, such as carbon fiber paper.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,252,410 describes a fuel cell membrane electrode assembly wherein a porous electrically conductive sheet material is used as the flow field. Such flow fields have been used in a MEA configuration where the dispersion of catalyst used in the preparation of the catalyst layer is applied to the porous flow field. In such configurations, adequate performance is only obtained when this catalyst flow field structure is then laminated to the membrane.


REFERENCES:
patent: 3733221 (1973-05-01), Sandler et al.
patent: 4125676 (1978-11-01), Maricle et al.
patent: 4215183 (1980-07-01), MacLeod
patent: 4287232 (1981-09-01), Goller et al.
patent: 4469579 (1984-09-01), Covitch et al.
patent: 4505992 (1985-03-01), Dettling et al.
patent: 4580337 (1986-04-01), Shigeta et al.
patent: 4602426 (1986-07-01), Kampe et al.
patent: 4847173 (1989-07-01), Mitsunaga et al.
patent: 4927514 (1990-05-01), Solomon et al.
patent: 5037919 (1991-08-01), Clement et al.
patent: 5108849 (1992-04-01), Watkins et al.
patent: 5171644 (1992-12-01), Tsou et al.
patent: 5211984 (1993-05-01), Wilson
patent: 5230966 (1993-07-01), Voss et al.
patent: 5234777 (1993-08-01), Wilson
patent: 5252410 (1993-10-01), Wilkinson et al.
patent: 5284718 (1994-02-01), Chow et al.
patent: 5300370 (1994-04-01), Washington et al.
patent: 5330860 (1994-07-01), Grot et al.
patent: 5395705 (1995-03-01), Door et al.
patent: 5441819 (1995-08-01), Voss et al.
patent: 5470671 (1995-11-01), Fletcher et al.
patent: 5514486 (1996-05-01), Wilson
patent: 5521020 (1996-05-01), Dhar
patent: 5607785 (1997-03-01), Tozawa et al.
patent: 5620807 (1997-04-01), Mussell et al.
patent: 5641586 (1997-06-01), Wilson
patent: 0 064 389 (1982-11-01), None
patent: 0 276 987 (1988-08-01), None
patent: 0 305 565 (1989-03-01), None
patent: 0 357 077 (1990-03-01), None
patent: 0 364 297 (1990-04-01), None
patent: 0 560 295 (1993-09-01), None
patent: 0 577 291 (1994-01-01), None
patent: 0 629 015 (1994-12-01), None
patent: 0 687 023 (1995-12-01), None
patent: 0 718 903 (1996-06-01), None
patent: 54-164231 (1979-12-01), None
patent: 61 052 383 (1986-07-01), None
patent: 6-333574 (1994-12-01), None
patent: 94/05049 (1994-03-01), None
patent: 94/25993 (1994-11-01), None
patent: 96/12316 (1996-04-01), None
Chemical Abstract No. 14273q, vol. 105 (1986). (Jul.).
Exploratory Fuel Cells for Transportation Program at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Washington, DC (Dec. 8, 1994).
Springer, T. E., et al., “Modeling and Experimental Diagnostics in Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells”, J. of Electrochem Soc., vol. 140, No. 12, pp. 3513-3526 (1993). (Dec.).
Watkins, David E., Fuel Cells for Transportation—Core Research Program at Los Alamos National Laboratory (Dec. 8, 1994).
Wilson, Mahlon S. et al., Extended Abstracts, vol. 95-2, pp. 1043-1044 (Oct. 8-13, 1995).
Patent Abstracts of Japan, JP 61 052 383, vol. 10, No. 214 (Jul. 25, 1986).
Murphy, O. J. et al., Journal of Power Sources, vol. 47, No. 3, pp. 353-368 (1994)(Month unknown).
Uchida, M. et al., J. Electrochem. Soc., vol. 142, No. 2, pp. 463-468 (Feb. 1995).

LandOfFree

Say what you really think

Search LandOfFree.com for the USA inventors and patents. Rate them and share your experience with other people.

Rating

Macroporous flow field assembly does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Macroporous flow field assembly, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Macroporous flow field assembly will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

     

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2616331

  Search
All data on this website is collected from public sources. Our data reflects the most accurate information available at the time of publication.