Internal proton exchange membrane humidification and cooling with automotive coolant
AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC
InventorsVolker Druenert, George R. Woody, Annette M. Brenner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A bipolar plate for a fuel cell including pores extending between cooling fluid flow channels and reactant gas flow channels defined by the plate. Pervaporation membranes cover the pores and selectively allow water in the cooling fluid flowing down the cooling fluid flow channels to pervaporate through the membrane and humidify the reactant gas flowing down the reactant gas flow channels. In one embodiment, the bipolar plate includes two stamped unipolar plates secured together.
Claims31
A fuel cell comprising:
- a membrane electrode assembly (MEA);
- and
- a first bipolar plate positioned on one side of the MEA, said first bipolar plate including a first unipolar plate and a second unipolar plate bonded together, said first and second unipolar plates of the first bipolar plate defining cathode reactant gas flow channels facing the MEA, anode reactant gas flow channels facing away from the MEA and cooling fluid flow channels, said first and second unipolar plates of the first bipolar plate including a plurality of pores extending through the unipolar plates between the cooling fluid flow channels and the anode and cathode reactant gas flow channels, and wherein the first bipolar plate includes at least one pervaporation membrane positioned relative to the pores that selectively allows water in a cooling fluid flowing through the cooling fluid flow channels to pervaporate through the pores and enter the reactant gas flow channels as water vapor.
A fuel cell comprising:
- a membrane electrode assembly (MEA);
- a cathode side bipolar plate positioned on one side of the MEA, said cathode side bipolar plate including a first unipolar plate and a second unipolar plate bonded together, said first and second unipolar plates of the cathode side bipolar plate defining cathode reactant gas flow channels facing the MEA, anode reactant gas flow channels facing away from the MEA and cooling fluid flow channels, said first and second unipolar plates of the cathode side bipolar plate including a plurality of pores extending through the first and second unipolar plates between the cooling fluid flow channels and the anode and cathode reactant gas flow channels, said cathode side bipolar plate further including a plurality of pervaporation membranes positioned over the pores where one pervaporation membrane covers the pores facing the cathode reactant gas flow channels and another pervaporation membrane covers the pores facing the anode reactant gas flow channels in each cooling fluid flow channel;
- and
- an anode side bipolar plate positioned on the other side of the MEA, said anode side bipolar plate including a third unipolar plate and a fourth unipolar plate bonded together, said third and fourth unipolar plates of the anode side bipolar plate defining anode reactant gas flow channels facing the MEA, cathode reactant gas flow channels facing away from the MEA and cooling fluid flow channels, said third and fourth unipolar plates of the anode side bipolar plate including a plurality of pores extending through the third and fourth unipolar plates between the cooling fluid flow channels and the anode and cathode reactant gas flow channels, said anode side bipolar plate further including a plurality of pervaporation membranes positioned over the pores were one pervaporation membrane covers the pores facing the anode reactant gas flow channels and another pervaporation membrane covers the holes facing the cathode reactant gas flow channels in each cooling fluid flow channel, wherein the pervaporation membranes selectively allow water in a cooling fluid flowing through the cooling fluid flow channels to pervaporate through the pores and enter the reactant gas flow channels as water vapor.
A bipolar plate for a fuel cell, said bipolar plate defining reactant gas flow channels and cooling fluid flow channels, said bipolar plate including a plurality of pores extending through a plate between the reactant gas flow channels and the cooling fluid flow channels, said bipolar plate further including at least one pervaporation membrane positioned relative to the pores and allowing water in a cooling fluid flowing through the cooling fluid flow channels to pervaporate through the membrane and into the reactant gas flow channels.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.