Patent · US Active

Membrane-electrode unit for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC)

US8512912B2 · kind B2 · utility

0Cited by

8References

23Claims

0Family size

Assignee

UMICORE AG & CO. KG · DE

Inventors

Joachim Koehler · Könnern, DE
Sandra Wittpahl · Obertshausen, DE
Holger Dziallas · Hanau, DE
Christian Eickes · Frankfurt am Main, DE

Key dates

Filing date	May 25, 2005
Grant date	Aug 20, 2013
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Oct 18, 2028

Classification

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

Abstract

The invention relates to a membrane electrode unit (MEU) for electrochemical apparatuses, in particular for direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC). The membrane electrode unit contains backings (i.e. gas diffusion layers) on the anode side and cathode side, which have a different water tightness (WT). The anode backing must have a lower water tightness (i.e. a higher water permeability) than the cathode backing, where WTAnode<WTCathode. The anode backing preferably has no compensating layer (microlayer), has a lower content of water repellent (from 2 to 10 wt.-%, based on the total weight) and has a higher total pore volume (VTot) than the cathode backing. The membrane electrode units produced have a substantially improved performance in DMFC fuel cells which are operated with aqueous methanol solution.

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