Quality control methods for gas diffusion media
AssigneeGeneral Motors Corporation
InventorJoerg Roth
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention discloses various methods in which a quality of a diffusion media for use in a fuel cell assembly can be qualitatively evaluated. The material constant, an internal contact angle, a ratio of high and low energy pores, and an external contact angle can be calculated for the diffusion media and compared to a predetermined standard to evaluate the quality of the diffusion media.
Claims20
A method of determining a quality of a diffusion media for use in a fuel cell, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) determining an internal contact angle of a diffusion media based on imbibing of a partial wetting liquid by said diffusion media;
- and
- (b) comparing said internal contact angle with a predetermined standard.
A method of testing a diffusion media for use in a fuel cell, the method comprising:
- (a) determining a relationship between a mass increase and time duration of imbibing of a liquid by a diffusion media;
- (b) determining an internal contact angle of said diffusion media based on said relationship;
- (c) comparing said internal contact angle with an empirically based predetermined standard;
- and
- (d) ascertaining an acceptability of said diffusion media based upon said comparison.
A method of testing a diffusion media for use in a fuel cell, the method comprising:
- (a) ascertaining a quality of a diffusion media based upon a comparison of an internal contact angle of said diffusion media to a predetermined standard;
- (b) accepting said diffusion media for at least one of use in a fuel cell and application of a coating to said diffusion media based upon said ascertained quality;
- and
- (c) rejecting said diffusion media based upon said ascertained quality if said diffusion media quality is unacceptable.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.