# US 12,009,524 B2 · Flexible, planar, double sided air breathing microscale fuel cell > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,009,524 B2 - Document ID: US12009524B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/100,108 - Filed: 2020-11-20 - Published: 2021-03-11 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2016-11-16 - Assignees: The Trustees of the Stevens Institute of Technology - Applicants: The Trustees of the Stevens Institute of Technology - Inventors: Ronald Besser; Seyed Reza Mahmoodi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12009524B2 ## CPC - H01M 4/8605: {Porous electrodes} - H01M 8/006: {Flat} - H01M 8/0271: Sealing or supporting means around electrodes, matrices or membranes - H01M 8/1004: characterised by membrane-electrode assemblies [MEA] (H01M8/12 takes precedence) - H01M 8/1007: with both reactants being gaseous or vaporised (H01M8/12 takes precedence) - H01M 8/1018: Polymeric electrolyte materials - H01M 8/241: with solid or matrix-supported electrolytes - H01M 8/1039: halogenated, e.g. sulfonated polyvinylidene fluorides - H01M 8/1067: characterised by their physical properties, e.g. porosity, ionic conductivity or thickness - H01M 2008/1095: {Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes} - H01M 2250/30: Fuel cells in portable systems, e.g. mobile phone, laptop - Y02B 90/10: Applications of fuel cells in buildings - Y02E 60/50: Fuel cells - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract Flexible air-breathing microscale fuel cells are produced using ion exchange polymer membranes without silicon substrates or other rigid components. The microscale fuel cells provide long-life energy supply sources in portable electronics due to reduced volume, high energy density, and low cost. More particularly, the microscale fuel cell has a direct hydrogen flow-through porous anode electrode with a pair of air-breathing cathodes. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A flexible micro-scale fuel cell, comprising: a porous anode; a first air-breathing cathode positioned to one side of said anode; a first flexible ion exchange polymer membrane positioned between said anode and said first air-breathing cathode; a second flexible ion exchange polymer membrane positioned to an opposite side of said anode and cooperating with said first ion exchange polymer membrane to create a seal around said anode; a first microchannel provided in at least one of said first and second ion exchange polymer membranes, said first microchannel being in fluid communication with said anode and configured to deliver reaction fluids to said anode; an inlet opening provided in at least one of said first and second ion exchange polymer membranes, said inlet opening being in fluid communication with said first microchannel and configured to deliver reaction fluids to said first microchannel from a source of reaction fluids located external of said fuel cell; a second microchannel provided in at least one of said first and second ion exchange polymer membranes, said second microchannel being in fluid communication with said anode and configured to receive reaction fluids from said anode; and an outlet opening provided in at least one of said first and second ion exchange polymer membranes, said outlet opening being in fluid communication with said second microchannel and configured to receive reaction fluids from said second microchannel and discharge them from said fuel cell. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The flexible micro-scale fuel cell of claim 1, wherein said first and second microchannels are provided in said first and second ion exchange polymer membranes. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The flexible micro-scale fuel cell of claim 2, wherein said inlet opening is provided in said first and second ion exchange polymer membranes. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The flexible micro-scale fuel cell of claim 3, wherein said outlet opening is provided in said first and second ion exchange polymer membranes. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The flexible micro-scale fuel cell of claim 1, wherein said first and second microchannels and said inlet and outlet openings are patterned onto at least one of said first and second ion exchange polymer membranes. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The flexible micro-scale fuel cell of claim 5, wherein said first and second microchannels and said inlet and outlet openings are patterned onto said first and second ion exchange polymer membranes. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The flexible micro-scale fuel cell of claim 5, wherein at least one of said first and second ion-exchange polymer membranes has a first edge to one side of said anode, said inlet opening being located between said first edge and said anode, and a second edge to an opposite side of said anode, said outlet opening being located between said second edge and said anode. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The flexible micro-scale fuel cell of claim 1, wherein said first and second ion exchange polymer membranes are made from the same material. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The flexible micro-scale fuel cell of claim 1, wherein said first and second ion exchange polymer membranes are made from different materials. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The flexible micro-scale fuel cell of claim 9, wherein said first ion exchange polymer membrane is made from a first material having a first power density and said second ion exchange polymer membrane is made from a second material having a second power density which is higher than said first power density. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The flexible micro-scale fuel cell of claim 10, wherein said first material is Nafion 1110 and said second material is 212 Nafion. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The flexible micro-scale fuel cell of claim 1, wherein said first and second ion exchange polymer membranes are flat. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The flexible micro-scale fuel cell of claim 12, wherein said first and second ion exchange polymer membranes are made from fluorinated polymers or co-polymers. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The flexible micro-scale fuel cell of claim 12, wherein said first ion exchange polymer membrane has a first substantially planar surface on one side of said first ion exchange polymer membrane and a second substantially planar surface on an opposite side of said first ion exchange polymer membrane; wherein said second ion exchange polymer membrane has a third substantially planar surface on one side of said second ion exchange polymer membrane and a fourth substantially planar surface on an opposite side of said second ion exchange polymer membrane, said third substantially planar surface of said second ion exchange polymer membrane being in direct physical contact with said second substantially planar surface of said first ion exchange polymer membrane such that said second and third substantially planar surfaces cooperate to constitute a pair of interfacing surfaces and such that said first and fourth substantially planar surfaces constitute a pair of air-breathing sides of said fuel cell; and wherein said anode is interposed between and in contact with said pair of interfacing surfaces. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The flexible micro-scale fuel cell of claim 14, wherein said inlet opening is located to one side of said anode and is formed in at least one of said interfacing surfaces of said pair of interfacing surfaces; and wherein said outlet is located to an opposite side of said anode and is formed in at least one of said interfacing surfaces of said pair of interfacing surfaces. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The flexible micro-scale fuel cell of claim 15, wherein said first microchannel is formed in at least one of said interfacing surfaces of said pair of interfacing surfaces; and wherein said second microchannel is formed in at least one of said interfacing surfaces of said pair of interfacing surfaces. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The flexible micro-scale fuel cell of claim 16, wherein said first cathode is located on one of said pair of air-breathing sides of said fuel cell. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The flexible micro-scale fuel cell of claim 14, wherein said first and second microchannels, said inlet and said outlet are formed between said interfacing surfaces of said pair of interfacing surfaces as said first and second ion exchange polymer membranes are thermally sealed to each other. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The flexible micro-scale fuel cell of claim 18, wherein said first cathode is located on one of said pair of air-breathing sides of said fuel cell. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The flexible micro-scale fuel cell of claim 1, wherein said fuel cell is of the proton exchange membrane type. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The flexible micro-scale fuel cell of claim 1, wherein said first and second microchannels are arranged on opposite ends of said anode, whereby reaction fluids flow directly through said anode between said opposite ends thereof. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The flexible micro-scale fuel cell of claim 1, further comprising a second air-breathing cathode positioned to said opposite side of said anode such that said second ion exchange polymer membrane is positioned between said anode and said second air-breathing cathode. ### Claim 23 (depends on 1) The flexible micro-scale fuel cell of claim 1, wherein said first and second ion exchange polymer membranes are thermally sealed to each other about said anode. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The flexible micro-scale fuel cell of claim 23, wherein said first and second ion exchange polymer membranes are untreated and unpatterned. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The flexible micro-scale fuel cell of claim 24, wherein said first and second microchannels are formed in said first and second ion exchange polymer membranes as said first and second ion exchange polymer membranes are thermally sealed to each other. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The flexible micro-scale fuel cell of claim 25, wherein at least one of said first and second ion-exchange polymer membranes has a first edge to one side of said anode, said first edge containing said inlet opening, and a second edge to an opposite side of said anode, said second edge containing said outlet opening. ### Claim 27 (depends on 25) The flexible micro-scale fuel cell of claim 25, wherein said first and second ion exchange polymer membranes are made from a material having a power density which is greater than that of Nafion 1110. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The flexible micro-scale fuel cell of claim 27, wherein said first and second ion exchange polymer membranes are made from 212 Nafion.