Back to results
US 8,410,747 B2Granted
Flexible fuel cell structures having external support
AssigneeSociete BIC
InventorsGerard Francis McLean, Jeremy Schrooten
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Fuel cell components provide fuel cells on a flexible sheet that defines a wall of a flexible plenum. An external support structure limits expansion of the plenum in response to forces exerted by a pressurized reactant. The external support structure may comprise a portion of a housing of a portable device. Cathodes of the fuel cells may be accessible from an outside of the flexible sheet and exposed to ambient air while anodes of the fuel cell are accessible from an inside of the flexible sheet and exposed to a fuel, such as hydrogen gas.
Claims27
A fuel cell apparatus comprising:
- a plenum enclosed by flexible walls, at least one of the flexible walls including a first flexible two-dimensional fuel cell array, the array including two or more fuel cells, the fuel cells having anodes accessible from a first side of the first flexible array and cathodes accessible from a second side of the first array, wherein one but not both of the first side or the second side is accessible from within the plenum;
- an inlet for connecting the plenum to a source of a reactant;
- current-carrying structures embedded within the two-dimensional fuel cell array, wherein at least a portion of the current-carrying structures are disposed between the first and second sides of the first flexible array;
- and,
- an external support structure disposed to limit outward expansion of the flexible walls.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.