Bipolar plate hydrophilic treatment for stable fuel cell stack operation at low power
US8053133B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 7, 2007 |
| Grant date | Nov 8, 2011 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 29, 2030 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02E60/50
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A flow field plate or bipolar plate for a fuel cell that includes a hydrophilic coating formed on flow field channels extending through a tunnel region between a cell active area and the inlet and outlet manifolds. The flow field plates are an assembly of a cathode side unipolar plate and an anode side unipolar plate. The hydrophilic coating is deposited on the unipolar plates prior to the unipolar plates being assembled into the flow field plate so that line of site deposition processes can be used to coat the flow field channels in the tunnel region. The unipolar plates can be any suitable fuel cell unipolar plates, such as stamped unipolar plates or composite unipolar plates.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.