Composite membrane and moisture adjustment module using same
AssigneeW. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
InventorsKeiichi Yamakawa, William B. Johnson, Mahesh Murthy, Thomas Berta
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Abstract
A composite membrane and moisture adjustment module using the same is disclosed. The composite membrane includes a moisture-permeable resin layer interposed between porous membranes that constitute a pair; and the mean thickness of the moisture-permeable resin layer is 5 μm or less.
Claims19
A method of humidifying a fuel cell having a polymer electrolyte membrane, an anode, a cathode, a fuel electrode gas feed and an air electrode gas feed, said method comprising the step of providing in at least one of said fuel electrode gas feed and said air electrode gas feed a moisture adjustment module comprising a composite membrane wherein a moisture-permeable resin layer is interposed between porous membranes of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene having pores with mean pore diameter of 0.05 μm or greater and maximum pore diameter of 15 μm or less that constitute a pair and are structurally and materially identical, wherein pores of the porous membranes are not imbedded with said resin layer;
- and the mean thickness of the moisture-permeable resin layer is between 0.1 and 5 μm.
A fuel cell comprising a polymer electrolyte membrane, a fuel electrode, an air electrode, a fuel electrode gas feed, an air electrode gas feed, and disposed in at least one of said fuel electrode gas feed and said air electrode gas feed a moisture adjustment module comprising a composite membrane wherein a moisture-permeable resin layer is interposed between porous membranes of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene having pores with mean pore diameter of 0.05 μm or greater and maximum pore diameter of 15 μm or less that constitute a pair and are structurally and materially identical, wherein pores of the porous membranes are not imbedded with said resin layer;
- and the mean thickness of the moisture-permeable resin layer is between 0.1 and 5 μm.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.