Mitigation of membrane degradation by multilayer electrode

US8206872B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC · US

Inventors

• Annette M. Brenner · Honeoye Falls, US
• Hubert Gasteiger · Rochester, US
• Wenbin Gu · Pittsford, US
• James Leistra · Penfield, US
• Brian Litteer · Henrietta, US
• Han-Yuan Liu · Waltham, US
• Susan Yan · Fairport, US
• Jingxin Zhang · Beijing, CN

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 26, 2007
• Grant date: Jun 26, 2012
• Expiry date: Mar 19, 2031

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02T90/40
• WIPO field: Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

An MEA for a fuel cell that employs multiple catalyst layers to reduce the hydrogen and/or oxygen partial pressure at the membrane so as to reduce the fluoride release rate from the membrane and reduce membrane degradation. An anode side multi-layer catalyst configuration is positioned at the anode side of the MEA membrane. The anode side multi-layer catalyst configuration includes an anode side under layer positioned against the membrane and including a catalyst, an anode side middle layer positioned against the anode side under layer and not including a catalyst and an anode side catalyst layer positioned against the anode side middle layer and opposite to the anode side under layer and including a catalyst, where the amount of catalyst in the anode side catalyst layer is greater than the amount of catalyst in the anode side under layer.