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US 8,007,958 B2Granted
PEM fuel cell with improved water management
AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC
InventorsMahmoud H. Abd Elhamid, Youssef M. Mikhail, Gayatri Vyas Dadheech
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A product including a polymer electrolyte membrane, an electrode over the membrane, a gas diffusion media layer over the electrode, and a hydrophilic layer over the gas diffusion media layer.
Claims23
A product comprising:
- a polymer electrolyte membrane comprising a first face and a second face;
- a cathode electrode over the first face of the polymer electrolyte membrane;
- a first gas diffusion media layer over the cathode electrode;
- a first porous carbon cloth or mat layer that does not include any hydrophobic material therein over the first gas diffusion media layer, and wherein the first porous carbon cloth or mat layer includes polar functional groups or physical features that render the porous carbon cloth or mat layer hydrophilic;
- an anode electrode over the second face of the polymer electrolyte membrane;
- a second gas diffusion media layer over the anode electrode
- a second porous carbon cloth or mat layer that does not include any hydrophobic material therein over the second gas diffusion media layer, and wherein the first porous carbon cloth or mat layer includes polar functional groups or physical features that render the porous carbon cloth or mat layer hydrophilic;
- a first fuel cell bipolar plate comprising a first face and a reactant gas flow field defined in the first face, the reactant gas flow field comprising a plurality of lands and channels, wherein the channels do not include a hydrophilic coating thereon, and wherein the first fuel cell bipolar plate overlies the first porous carbon cloth or mat layer;
- and
- a second fuel cell bipolar plate comprising a first face and a reactant gas flow field defined in the first face, the reactant gas flow field comprising a plurality of lands and channels, wherein the channels do not include a hydrophilic coating thereon, and wherein the second fuel cell bipolar plate overlies the second porous carbon cloth or mat layer.
7 more elements
A product comprising:
- a polymer electrolyte membrane;
- an electrode over the membrane;
- a gas diffusion media layer over the electrode;
- a porous carbon cloth or mat layer that does not include any hydrophobic material therein over the gas diffusion media layer, wherein the first porous carbon cloth or mat layer has a thickness ranging between 1 and 8 mils and includes polar functional groups or physical features that render the porous carbon cloth or mat layer hydrophilic;
- and
- a stainless steel fuel cell bipolar plate comprising a reactant gas flow field defined by a plurality of lands and channels over and in contact with the porous carbon cloth or mat layer.
3 more elements
A process comprising:
- providing a polymer electrolyte membrane comprising a first face and a second face;
- providing a cathode electrode over the first face of the polymer electrolyte membrane;
- providing a first gas diffusion media layer over the cathode electrode;
- providing a first porous carbon cloth or mat layer that does not include any hydrophobic material therein over the first gas diffusion media layer;
- providing an anode electrode over the second face of the polymer electrolyte membrane;
- providing a second gas diffusion media layer over the anode electrode;
- and
- providing a second porous carbon cloth or mat layer that does not include any hydrophobic material therein over the second gas diffusion media layer;
- treating at least one of the first or second porous carbon cloth or mat layers to render the least one of the first or second porous carbon cloth or mat layers hydrophilic;
- providing a first fuel cell bipolar plate over the first porous carbon cloth or mat layer, wherein the first fuel cell bipolar plate comprises a first face and a reactant gas flow field defined in the first face, the reactant gas flow field comprising a plurality of lands and channels;
- and
- providing a second fuel cell bipolar plate over the second porous carbon cloth or mat layer, wherein the second fuel cell bipolar plate comprises a first face and a reactant gas flow field defined in the first face, the reactant gas flow field comprising a plurality of lands and channels.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.