Conductive elastomeric compression pad for use in electrolysis cells
AssigneeUnited Technologies Corporation
InventorsAndrei Leonida, Lawrence C. Moulthrop
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Abstract
Accumulated dimensional variations in fuel cells and electrolysis cell assemblies can reduce the efficiency of the assembly and provide leakage paths for fuel and oxidant. An elastomeric compression pad comprised of an oil adsorbent sheet surrounding an elastomeric material with expansion pathways and electrical pathways, that utilize a conductive powder and elastomeric binder compensates for component dimensional variations, improves inter-cell conductivity, and allows high pressure operation up to about 3,000 psig.
Claims14
An elastomeric compression pad for compensating for component dimensional variations, which comprises:
- an elastomeric material having
- a. an overall uncompressed length,
- b. a width,
- c. a plurality of expansion pathways located across the width of said elastomeric material, wherein said expansion pathways have sufficient volume to allow said elastomeric material to substantially maintain its overall uncompressed length while in a compressed state, and
- d. a plurality of electrical pathways containing a sufficient amount of conductive substance to form an electrically conductive path across said width of said elastomeric material while in a compressed state, said conductive substance not forming an electrically conductive path across the width of said elastomeric material while said elastomeric material is in an uncompressed state, where the shore A durometer hardness of said elastomeric material is greater than about 50, the electrical resistivity of said conductive substance is less than about 0.1 ohm cm, and the elastic strain of said compression pad is less than 70% up to pressures of 3,000 psig.
An improved cell having an anode electrode, a cathode electrode, and an electrolyte disposed therebetween, wherein the improvement comprises an elastomeric compression pad for compensating for component dimensional variations up to pressures of about 3,000 psig, said compression pad having:
- an elastomeric material having
- a. an overall length,
- b. a width,
- c. a plurality of expansion pathways located across the width of said elastomeric material, wherein said expansion pathways have sufficient volume to allow said elastomeric material to substantially maintain its overall uncompressed length while in a compressed state, and
- d. a plurality of electrical pathways containing a sufficient amount of conductive substance to form an electrically conductive path across said width of said elastomeric material while in a compressed state, said conductive substance not forming an electrically conductive path across the width of said elastomeric material while said elastomeric material is in an uncompressed state, wherein the shore A durometer hardness of said elastomeric material is greater than about 50, the electrical resistivity of said conductive substance is less than about 0.1 ohm cm, and the elastic strain of said compression pad is less than 70% up to pressures of 3,000 psig.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.