Gas diffusion layer for fuel cells and method of manufacturing the same
AssigneesHyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
InventorsJae Man Park, Kook Il Han, Ji Han Lee
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In one embodiment, a gas diffusion layer for fuel cells includes a fine porous layer formed on a carbon fiber support and being interposed between a membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) and a separator. The carbon fiber support includes a fine pore area having a predetermined average pore size in a separator direction (thickness direction) in the membrane electrode assembly, and a coarse pore area having a larger predetermined average pore size than the average pore size of the fine pore area in the separator direction (thickness direction) in the membrane electrode assembly. The fine pore area and the coarse pore area are alternately formed.
Claims18
A method of manufacturing a fuel cell comprising a gas diffusion layer, the method comprising:
- preparing carbon fibers for fine pores to form fine pores;
- preparing carbon fibers for coarse pores to form coarse pores;
- alternately dispersing the carbon fibers for fine pores and the carbon fibers for coarse pores on the same plane to form a carbon fiber support;
- and
- forming a fine porous layer over and contacting a first major outer surface of the carbon fiber support, the gas diffusion layer comprising the fine porous layer and the carbon fiber support;
- providing the carbon fiber support disposed between the fine porous layer and a separator;
- providing the fine porous layer between an membrane electrode assembly and the carbon fiber support;
- and
- having a second major outer surface of the carbon fiber support contact the separator, the second major outer surface being opposite to the first major outer surface.
A gas diffusion layer for fuel cells, the gas diffusion layer comprising:
- a carbon fiber support;
- and
- a fine porous layer disposed over and contacting a first major outer surface of the carbon fiber support and to be interposed between a membrane electrode assembly and a separator, the carbon fiber support being disposed between the fine porous layer and the separator, a second major outer surface of the carbon fiber support contacting the separator, the second major outer surface being opposite to the first major outer surface;
- wherein the carbon fiber support comprises:
- a plurality of fine pore areas, each fine pore area having an average pore size in a thickness direction in the membrane electrode assembly;
- and
- a plurality of coarse pore areas, each coarse pore area having a larger predetermined average pore size than the average pore size of the fine pore area in the thickness direction in the membrane electrode assembly;
- and
- wherein the plurality of fine pore areas and the plurality of coarse pore areas are alternately formed such that two adjacent ones of the plurality of fine pore areas are separated from one another by one of the plurality of coarse pore areas.
A fuel cell, comprising:
- a membrane electrode assembly;
- a separator;
- a carbon fiber support;
- and
- a fine porous layer disposed over and contacting a first major outer surface of the carbon fiber support and interposed between the membrane electrode assembly and the separator, the carbon fiber support being disposed between the fine porous layer and the separator, a second major outer surface of the carbon fiber support contacting the separator, the second major outer surface being opposite to the first major outer surface;
- wherein the carbon fiber support comprises:
- a plurality of fine pore areas, each fine pore area having an average pore size in a thickness direction in the membrane electrode assembly;
- and
- a plurality of coarse pore areas, each coarse pore area having a larger predetermined average pore size than the average pore size of the fine pore area in the thickness direction in the membrane electrode assembly;
- and
- wherein the plurality of fine pore areas and the plurality of coarse pore areas are alternately formed such that two adjacent ones of the plurality of fine pore areas are separated from one another by one of the plurality of coarse pore areas.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.