US 8,945,410 B2 · Fuel cell with enhanced mass transfer characteristics

Abstract

Disclosed is a fuel cell with enhanced mass transfer characteristics in which a highly hydrophobic porous medium, which is prepared by forming a micro-nano dual structure in which nanometer-scale protrusions with a high aspect ratio are formed on the surface of a porous medium with a micrometer-scale roughness by plasma etching and then by depositing a hydrophobic thin film thereon, is used as a gas diffusion layer, thereby increasing hydrophobicity due to the micro-nano dual structure and the hydrophobic thin film. When this highly hydrophobic porous medium is used as a gas diffusion layer for a fuel cell, it is possible to reduce water flooding by efficiently discharging water produced by an electrochemical reaction of the fuel cell and to improve the performance of the fuel cell by facilitating the supply of reactant gases such as hydrogen and air (oxygen) to a membrane-electrode assembly (MEA).

Claims18

Dependent claims

A method of manufacturing a fuel cell with enhanced mass transfer characteristics, the method comprising:

providing a porous medium with a micrometer-scale surface roughness, wherein the porous medium includes a macroporous substrate containing carbon fibers and a microporous layer containing carbon particles;
forming a micro-nano dual structure on the surface of the porous medium with the micrometer-scale surface roughness by forming nanometer-scale protrusions and/or nanometer-scale collapsed pores by plasma etching, wherein the plasma etching is carried out on both the surface of the macroporous substrate and the surface of the microporous layer to form the micro-nano dual structure in which the nanometer-scale protrusions and/or the nanometer-scale collapsed pores are formed within surfaces of the carbon particles and/or within surfaces of the carbon fibers;
depositing a hydrophobic thin film on the surface of the micro-nano dual structure;
and
forming a fuel cell together with a membrane-electrode assembly and a separator using the porous medium including the micro-nano dual structure and the hydrophobic thin film as a gas diffusion layer.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Fuel cell with enhanced mass transfer characteristics

Life of this patent

Fuel cell with enhanced mass transfer characteristics

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18