Flow fields for enhancing fluid transport in electrochemical cells
AssigneeElectric Hydrogen Co.
InventorsElif Karatay, David Eaglesham
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The following disclosure relates to electrochemical or electrolysis cells and components thereof, specifically to flow fields and dead-end inlet and outlet channel configurations within flow fields. In one example, the flow field may include at least one dead-end inlet channel and at least one dead-end outlet channel, wherein the dead-end inlet channel does not extend an entire length from the inlet to the outlet of the flow field and therein does not provide a direct fluid connection with the outlet, and wherein the dead-end outlet channel does not extend an entire length from the inlet to the outlet of the flow field and therein does not provide a direct fluid connection with the inlet.
Claims24
A flow field for an electrochemical cell, the flow field comprising:
- an inlet configured to receive water;
- a plurality of inlet channels, each inlet channel connected to the inlet and configured to transfer water from the inlet to an adjacent layer of the electrochemical cell;
- an outlet configured to transfer fluids out of the electrochemical cell;
- a plurality of outlet channels, each outlet channel connected to the outlet and configured to transfer the fluids from the adjacent layer of the electrochemical cell to the outlet;
- and
- a plurality of lands, each land separating a channel of the plurality of inlet channels and the plurality of outlet channels from an additional channel of the plurality of inlet channels and the plurality of outlet channels,
- wherein at least one inlet channel of the plurality of inlet channels is a dead-end inlet channel such that the at least one inlet channel does not extend an entire length from the inlet to the outlet of the flow field and therein does not provide a direct fluid connection with the outlet,
- wherein at least one outlet channel of the plurality of outlet channels is a dead-end outlet channel such that the at least one outlet channel does not extend the entire length from the inlet to the outlet of the flow field and therein does not provide a direct fluid connection with the inlet, and
- wherein the dead-end inlet channel and the dead-end outlet channel are configured to redirect more water into the adjacent layer of the electrochemical cell in comparison to an electrochemical cell without any dead-end inlet channels and dead-end outlet channels.
-8. (canceled)
(canceled)
An electrochemical cell comprising:
- a flow field;
- a membrane;
- and
- a porous transport layer or a gas diffusion layer positioned between the flow field and the membrane,
- wherein the flow field comprises:
- an inlet configured to receive water;
- a plurality of inlet channels, each inlet channel connected to the inlet and configured to transfer water from the inlet to the porous transport layer or the gas diffusion layer;
- an outlet configured to transfer fluids out of the electrochemical cell;
- a plurality of outlet channels, each outlet channel connected to the outlet and configured to transfer the fluids from the porous transport layer or the gas diffusion layer to the outlet;
- and
- a plurality of lands, each land separating a channel of the plurality of inlet channels and the plurality of outlet channels from an additional channel of the plurality of inlet channels and the plurality of outlet channels,
- wherein at least one inlet channel of the plurality of inlet channels is a dead-end inlet channel such that the at least one inlet channel does not extend an entire length from the inlet to the outlet of the flow field and therein does not provide a direct fluid connection with the outlet,
- wherein at least one outlet channel of the plurality of outlet channels is a dead-end outlet channel such that the at least one outlet channel does not extend the entire length from the inlet to the outlet of the flow field and therein does not provide a direct fluid connection with the inlet, and
- wherein the dead-end inlet channel and the dead-end outlet channel are configured to redirect more water into the porous transport layer or the gas diffusion layer in comparison to an electrochemical cell without any dead-end inlet channels and dead-end outlet channels.
-16. (canceled)
(canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.