# US 2014/0193738 A1 · Cell for fuel-cell battery using a proton exchange membrane, with gas diffusion layers of different rigidity at the anode and at the cathode

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- Number: US 2014/0193738 A1
- Document ID: US20140193738A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/101,218
- Filed: 2013-12-09
- Published: 2014-07-10
- Earliest claimed: 2012-12-10
- Applicants: Commissariat A L'energie Atomique Et Aux Energies Alternatives
- Inventors: Ludovic ROUILLON; Joel PAUCHET
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140193738A1

## CPC

- H01M 8/1004: characterised by membrane-electrode assemblies [MEA] (H01M8/12 takes precedence)
- H01M 4/8605: {Porous electrodes}
- H01M 4/8807: {Gas diffusion layers}
- H01M 8/0234: Carbonaceous material
- Y02E 60/50: Fuel cells
- H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

A cell structure for a fuel-cell battery, which allows the compromise necessary between the reduction in the non-uniformities of mechanical stress to be optimized, with the aim of obtaining a more uniform operation, and the independent accommodation with respect to the defects in planarity/thickness/alignment, while at the same time meeting the compactness constraint, comprises: a membrane/electrode assembly comprising a first electrode and a second electrode separated by a membrane; a gas diffusion layer stacked on each face of the assembly, between an electrode of the assembly and a current collector plate; and the gas diffusion layers stacked on either side of the assembly do not have the same rigidity, one of the gas diffusion layers having a Young's modulus relative to an applied stress in the direction of the thickness, greater than the Young's modulus of the other layer, in a ratio of the order of at least 100.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A cell for a fuel-cell battery, comprising:
a membrane/electrode assembly comprising a first electrode and a second electrode separated by a membrane, and
a gas diffusion layer stacked on each face of the assembly, between an electrode of the assembly and a current collector plate,
wherein the gas diffusion layers stacked on either side of the assembly do not have the same rigidity, one of the gas diffusion layers having a Young's modulus relative to an applied stress in the direction of the thickness, greater than the Young's modulus of the other layer, in a ratio of the order of at least 100.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The cell according to claim 1, wherein the most rigid gas diffusion layer is that stacked on the electrode of the assembly which forms a cathode.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The cell according to claim 1, wherein the most rigid diffusion layer has a Young's modulus greater than at least a few thousand megapascals.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The cell according to claim 1, wherein the most rigid diffusion layer has a Young's modulus in the range between a few thousand megapascals, and a few tens of thousands of megapascals, and preferably in the range between around 5700 megapascals and around 58000 megapascals.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The cell according to claim 1, wherein the least rigid diffusion layer has a Young's modulus which is around 70 megapascals.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The cell according to claim 2, wherein the most rigid diffusion layer has a Young's modulus greater than at least a few thousand megapascals.

### Claim 7 (depends on 2)

The cell according to claim 2, wherein the most rigid diffusion layer has a Young's modulus in the range between a few thousand megapascals, and a few tens of thousands of megapascals, and preferably in the range between around 5700 megapascals and around 58000 megapascals.

### Claim 8 (depends on 2)

The cell according to claim 2, wherein the least rigid diffusion layer has a Young's modulus which is around 70 megapascals.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

A fuel-cell battery comprising a stack of one or more cells according to claim 1.