Storing water in substrates for frozen, boot-strap start of fuel cells
US7087330B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 22, 2004 |
| Grant date | Aug 8, 2006 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 5, 2024 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02E60/50
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Fuel cells (16) include a proton exchange membrane (18) with cathode catalyst (24) and anode catalyst (20) on opposing surfaces thereof. An anode support plate (21) includes a hydrophilic substrate (22) and a cathode support plate (25) includes a hydrophilic substrate (26) and a contact bilayer (diffusion layer) (24). Water transport plates (12, 14) are adjacent corresponding support plates. Upon shut down of the fuel cell stack, the support plates (21, 25) fill to 60%–80% of their water capacity, thereby to provide water (from melting ice) upon a bootstrap start of the frozen cells. In one embodiment, the amount of water is controlled by the pressure differential between the coolant and the reactant gases; in another embodiment, the amount of water is controlled by having hydrophobic regions (93) substantially uniformly dispensed in a hydrophilic substrate (94) in either the support plates (22a) or the contact bilayer (27).
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.