Patent · US Expired

Polymer electrolyte fuel cell

US7060384B2 · kind B2 · utility

5Cited by
4References
10Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 25, 2002
Grant dateJun 13, 2006
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 18, 2023

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02E60/50
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A porous supporting carbon body of a gas diffusion layer is provided with a larger number of smaller pores at its catalyst layer side and a smaller number of larger pores at the other side, particularly with an appropriate distribution of finer mesh at its catalyst layer side and coarser mesh at the other side. As a result, a high performance polymer electrolyte fuel cell is obtained in which water generated at the catalyst layer is quickly sucked out to the gas diffusion layer, and is evaporated at the gas diffusion layer to be effectively exhausted to outside the fuel cell, so that excessive water can be prevented from retaining in the gas diffusion electrode, with the polymer electrolyte membrane being maintained at an appropriately wet condition.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.