Electrochemical cells having current-carrying structures underlying electrochemical reaction layers
AssigneeSociete BIC
InventorsGerard Francis McLean, Anna Stukas, Jeremy Schrooten
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Abstract
An electrochemical cell structure has an electrical current-carrying structure which, at least in part, underlies an electrochemical reaction layer. The cell comprises an ion exchange membrane with a catalyst layer on each side thereof. The ion exchange membrane may comprise, for example, a proton exchange membrane. Some embodiments of the invention provide electrochemical cell layers which have a plurality of individual unit cells formed on a sheet of ion exchange membrane material.
Claims30
An electrochemical cell layer that includes an array of electrochemical cells, the electrochemical cell layer comprising:
- a plurality of electrochemical reaction regions forming at least a part of a first surface and at least a part of a second surface of the electrochemical cell layer;
- at least one ion exchange membrane;
- at least one substrate component positioned between the first and second surfaces;
- and
- a plurality of current-carrying structures, each current-carrying structure in electrical communication with at least one of the electrochemical reaction regions forming a part of the first surface and at least one of the electrochemical reaction regions forming a part of the second surface and each current-carrying structure extending through a portion of the electrochemical cell layer.
A method of producing electricity comprising:
- directing a fuel to contact an electrochemical cell layer, the electrochemical cell layer including
- a plurality of electrochemical reaction regions forming at least a part of a first surface and at least a part of a second surface of the electrochemical cell layer;
- at least one ion exchange membrane;
- at least one substrate component positioned between the first and second surfaces;
- and
- a plurality of current-carrying structures, each current-carrying structure in electrical communication with at least one of the electrochemical reaction regions forming a part of the first surface and at least one of the electrochemical reaction regions forming a part of the second surface and each current-carrying structure extending through a portion of the electrochemical cell layer,
- wherein the fuel contacts the electrochemical reaction regions on the first surface;
- directing an oxidant to contact the electrochemical reaction regions on the second surface;
- and
- directing an electrical current through the current-carrying structures and through the electrochemical cell layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.