WO2004070859A1 - Pem fuel cell with flow-field having a branched midsection - Google Patents
Pem fuel cell with flow-field having a branched midsection Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO2004070859A1 WO2004070859A1 PCT/US2003/039144 US0339144W WO2004070859A1 WO 2004070859 A1 WO2004070859 A1 WO 2004070859A1 US 0339144 W US0339144 W US 0339144W WO 2004070859 A1 WO2004070859 A1 WO 2004070859A1
- Authority
- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- flow
- channels
- fuel cell
- gas
- pem fuel
- Prior art date
Links
Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H01M8/00—Fuel cells; Manufacture thereof
- H01M8/02—Details
- H01M8/0202—Collectors; Separators, e.g. bipolar separators; Interconnectors
- H01M8/0258—Collectors; Separators, e.g. bipolar separators; Interconnectors characterised by the configuration of channels, e.g. by the flow field of the reactant or coolant
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H01M8/00—Fuel cells; Manufacture thereof
- H01M8/10—Fuel cells with solid electrolytes
- H01M2008/1095—Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02E60/00—Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
- Y02E60/10—Energy storage using batteries
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02E60/00—Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
- Y02E60/30—Hydrogen technology
- Y02E60/50—Fuel cells
Definitions
- This invention relates to PEM fuel cells and more particularly to the reactant flow-fields therefore.
- Fuel cells have been proposed as a power source for many applications.
- One such fuel cell is the PEM (i.e., proton exchange membrane) fuel cell.
- PEM fuel cells are well known in the art and include in each cell thereof a so-called "membrane-electrode-assembly" (hereafter MEA) comprising a thin (i.e., ca. 0.0015-0.007 inch), proton-conductive, polymeric, membrane-electrolyte having an anode electrode film (i.e., ca. 0.002 inch) formed on one face thereof, and a cathode electrode film (i.e. , ca. 0.002 inch) formed on the opposite face thereof.
- MEA membrane-electrode-assembly
- membrane- electrolytes are well known in the art and are described in such U.S. patents as 5,272,017 and 3,134,697, as well as in the Journal of Power Sources, Volume 29 (1990) pages 367-387, ter alia.
- such membrane- electrolytes are made from ion-exchange resins, and typically comprise a perfluoronated sulfonic acid polymer such as NAFIONTM available from the E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Co.
- the anode and cathode films typically comprise (1) finely divided carbon particles, very finely divided catalytic particles supported on the internal and external surfaces of the carbon particles, and proton conductive material (e.g., NAFIONTM) intermingled with the catalytic and carbon particles, or (2) catalytic particles, sans carbon, dispersed throughout a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) binder.
- proton conductive material e.g., NAFIONTM
- PTFE polytetrafluoroethylene
- the MEA is sandwiched between sheets of porous, gas- permeable, conductive material, known as a "diffusion layer", which press against the anode and cathode faces of the MEA and serve as (1) the primary current collectors for the anode and cathode, and (2) mechanical support for the MEA.
- Suitable such primary current collector sheets comprise carbon or graphite paper or cloth, fine mesh noble metal screen, and the like, through which the gas can diffuse, or be driven, to contact the MEA underlying the lands, as is well known in the art.
- the thusly formed sandwich is pressed between a pair of electrically conductive plates which serve as secondary current collectors for collecting the current from the primary current collectors, and for conducting current between adjacent cells internally of the stack (i.e. , in the case of bipolar plates), and externally of the stack (i.e. in the case of monopolar plates at the ends of the stack).
- the secondary current collecting plates each contain at least one active region including a so-called "flow-field" that distributes the fuel cell's gaseous reactants (e.g., H 2 or 02/air) over the surfaces of the anode and cathode.
- the flow- field includes a plurality of lands which engage the primary current collector and define therebetween a plurality of grooves or flow-channels through which the gaseous reactants flow between a supply manifold in a header region of the plate at one end of the channel and an exhaust manifold in a header region of the plate at the other end of the channel.
- Serpentine channels have been used to achieve desired manifold-to- manifold pressure differentials as well as inter-channel pressure differentials.
- Serpentine flow-channels have an odd number of legs extending, in switchback style, between the supply and exhaust manifolds of the stack.
- Serpentine flow channels use various widths, depths and lengths to vary the pressure differentials between the supply and exhaust manifolds, and may be designed to drive some reactant gas trans-land between adjacent flow- channels, or between adjacent segments of the same flow-channel, via the current collecting diffusion layer in order to expose the MEA confronting the land separating the legs to reactant.
- some gas can flow from an upstream leg of a flow-channel (i.e. where pressure is higher) to a parallel, downstream leg of the same flow-channel (i.e. where the pressure is lower) by moving through the diffusion layer engaging the land that separates the upstream leg from the parallel downstream leg.
- Non-serpentine flow- channels have been proposed that extend more or less directly between the supply and exhaust manifolds, i.e. without any hairpin/switchback-type turns therein, and hence in shorter lengths than the serpentine flow-channels.
- Flow-field designers seek to provide the active region of the secondary current collector with a multiplicity of flow channels for distributing the fuel/oxidant gas uniformly over the active region.
- the number of flow-channels that could be provided in the active region of the plate was limited by the header space available for the H2 and O2 manifolds.
- the portions of the headers available for forming each of the H2 and O2 manifolds was relatively small (e.g. ⁇ ca.
- the present invention is directed to a PEM fuel cell flow-field having flow-channels with branched midsections adjoined to inlet and exit legs that communicate with the supply and exhaust manifolds, whereby lower manifold-to-manifold pressure drops are possible.
- branched flow-channels provide alternative routes for the reactive gas to flow within a single flow-channel if one of the branches of a flow-channel becomes plugged with water.
- the present invention contemplates a PEM fuel cell having a gas-permeable, electrically conductive current collector engaging at least one face of a MEA, and a current-collecting plate engaging the gas-permeable current collector, and defining a gas flow-field that confronts the gas-permeable current collector.
- the flow-field comprises a plurality of lands that engage the gas-permeable current collector, and define a plurality of gas flow-channels, each of which has (a) an inlet leg communicating with a gaseous reactant supply manifold, (b) an exit leg communicating with a gaseous reactant exhaust manifold, and (c) a branched midsection between the inlet and exit legs that comprises at least first and second branches each having a first end communicating with the inlet leg and a second end communicating with the exit leg.
- the flow-channels may be serpentine or non-serpentine, and may have as many as three branches confronting the cathode side of the MEA, and as many five branches confronting the anode side of the MEA.
- Figure 1 is a schematic, exploded, isometric, illustration of a
- Figure 2 is an isometric, exploded, view of an MEA and bipolar plate of a PEM fuel cell stack
- Figure 3 is a plan view of the bipolar plate of figure 2.
- Figure 4 is a plan view of another embodiment of the invention.
- FIG. 1 depicts a two- cell, bipolar PEM fuel cell stack having a pair of membrane-electrode- assemblies (MEA's) 4 and 6 separated from each other by an electrically conductive, liquid-cooled, bipolar plate 8.
- MEA's 4 and 6, and bipolar plate 8 are stacked together between stainless steel clamping plates 10 and 12, and monopolar end plates 14 and 16.
- the clamping plates 10, 12 are electrically insulated from the end plates 14, 16 by a gasket or dielectric coating (not shown).
- the monopolar end plates 14 and 16, as well as both working faces of the bipolar plate 8, contain a plurality of grooves or channels 18, 20, 22, and 24 defining a so-called "flow field" for distributing fuel and oxidant gases (i.e., H 2 & O2) over the faces of the MEA's 4 and 6.
- Nonconductive gaskets 26, 28, 30, and 32 provide seals and electrical insulation between the several components of the fuel cell stack.
- Gas- permeable carbon/graphite diffusion papers 34, 36, 38 and 40 press up against the electrode faces of the MEA's 4 and 6.
- the end plates 14 and 16 press up against the carbon/graphite papers 34 and 40 respectively, while the bipolar plate 8 presses up against the carbon/graphite paper 36 on the anode face of MEA 4, and against carbon/graphite paper 38 on the cathode face of MEA 6.
- the bipolar plates 8 may comprise graphite, graphite-filled polymer, or metal.
- the bipolar plates will comprise two separate metal sheets/panels bonded together so as to provide a coolant flow passage therebetween. Bonding may, for example, be accomplished by brazing, diffusion bonding, or gluing with a conductive adhesive, as is well known in the art.
- FIG. 2 is an isometric, exploded view of a bipolar plate 8, first primary porous current collector 42, MEA 43 and second primary porous current collector 44 as they are stacked together in a fuel cell.
- a second bipolar plate (not shown) would underlie the second primary current collector 44 to form one complete cell.
- another set of primary current collectors and MEA (not shown) will overlie the upper sheet 58.
- the bipolar plate 8 comprises a first exterior metal sheet 58, a second exterior metal sheet 60, and an optional, perforated, interior metal sheet 62 which is brazed interjacent the first metal sheet 58 and the second metal sheet 60.
- the metal sheets 58, 60 and 62 are made as thin as possible (e.g.
- the external sheet 58 is formed so as to provide a reactant gas flow- field characterized by a plurality of lands 64 which define therebetween a plurality of non-serpentine gas flow-channels 66 through which one of the fuel cell's reactant gases (i.e. O2 from air) flows from near one end 68 of the bipolar plate to near the opposite end 70 thereof.
- the lands 64 press against the primary current collectors lying above it (not shown) which, in turn, presses against the MEA with which it is associated (not shown).
- the bipolar plate 8 (e.g. see Fig. 2) has a central active region "A" that engages the primary current collector, and is bordered by inactive header regions "B" and "C".
- the active region A has a working face having a cathode flow-field comprising a plurality of flow- channels 66 for distributing O2 /air over the face of the MEA 43 that it confronts.
- a similar working face 22 on the opposite i.e.
- anode side (not shown) of the bipolar plate 8 serves to distribute H2 over the face of the MEA 6 that it confronts.
- the active region A of the bipolar plate 8 is flanked by two inactive header regions B and C that contain the several openings 72,
- the openings in one bipolar plate are aligned with like openings in the other bipolar plates.
- Other components of the stack such as gaskets 26, 28, 30 and 32, as well as the membrane of the MEA's 4 and 6 and the end plates 14, 16 have corresponding openings (see Fig. 1) that align with the openings72, 74,
- Metal sheet 60 is similar to sheet 58. Like sheet 58, the underside of the sheet 60 has a working face 22 that engages the first current collector 42.
- the optional, perforated, interior, metal sheet 62 may be used interjacent the exterior sheets 58 and 60, and includes a plurality of apertures 92 that cause turbulent flow of the coolant for more effective heat exchange with the exterior sheets 58 and 60 respectively.
- FIG. 3 is a plan view of plate 58 and more clearly shows bifurcated, non-serpentine flow-channels in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
- Each flow channel has an inlet leg 96 communicating with the O2 supply manifold 72, an exit leg 100 communicating with the O2 exhaust manifold 74, and medial legs/branches 104 and 106, in the midsections of the flow-channels, that communicate with the inlet and exit legs 96 and 100.
- the inlet legs 96 communicate with the supply manifold 72 via a plurality of openings 108 and a slot 110 that communicates with the manifold 72 via a passageway (not shown) that underlies section 112 of the plate 58.
- the exit legs 100 cornmunicate with the exhaust manifold 74 via a plurality of openings 114 which in turn communicate with the exhaust manifold 74 via a slot 116 that communicates with the manifold 74 via a passageway (not shown) that underlies section 118 of the plate 58.
- Several flow-restrictors 94, 98, and 102 e.g. constrictions in the flow-channels
- Flow-restrictors are described in more detail in copending United States Patent Application USSN_(Attorney Docket GP- 301429), which is filed concurrently herewith, and intended to be incorporated herein by reference.
- FIG. 4 is a plan view of another embodiment of the invention that shows a current collecting plate 119 having bifurcated serpentine flow- channels 120 each having an inlet leg 122, an exit leg 124 and a bifurcated midsection comprising a first branch 126, and a second branch 128.
- the inlet legs 122 communicate with a H2 supply manifold 130 via a plurality of openings 132 and a slot 134 that communicates with the manifold 130 via a passageway (not shown) that underlies section 136 of the plate 119.
- exit legs 124 communicate with a H2 exhaust manifold 138 via a plurality of openings 140 and a slot 142 that communicates with the exhaust manifold 138 via a passageway (not shown) that underlies section 144 of the plate 119.
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- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
- Sustainable Development (AREA)
- Sustainable Energy (AREA)
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
- Electrochemistry (AREA)
- General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Fuel Cell (AREA)
Abstract
Description
Claims
Priority Applications (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
DE10394052T DE10394052T5 (en) | 2003-01-31 | 2003-12-10 | PEM fuel cell with a branched middle section having flow field |
JP2004568019A JP2006514404A (en) | 2003-01-31 | 2003-12-10 | PEM fuel cell with a flow field having a branched middle section |
AU2003293466A AU2003293466A1 (en) | 2003-01-31 | 2003-12-10 | Pem fuel cell with flow-field having a branched midsection |
Applications Claiming Priority (4)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US10/356,672 | 2003-01-31 | ||
US10/356,672 US20040151971A1 (en) | 2003-01-31 | 2003-01-31 | PEM fuel cell with flow-field having a branched midsection |
US10/664,504 US20040151974A1 (en) | 2003-01-31 | 2003-09-17 | PEM fuel cell with flow-field having a branched midsection |
US10/664,504 | 2003-09-17 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
WO2004070859A1 true WO2004070859A1 (en) | 2004-08-19 |
Family
ID=32853088
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/US2003/039144 WO2004070859A1 (en) | 2003-01-31 | 2003-12-10 | Pem fuel cell with flow-field having a branched midsection |
Country Status (4)
Country | Link |
---|---|
JP (1) | JP2006514404A (en) |
AU (1) | AU2003293466A1 (en) |
DE (1) | DE10394052T5 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2004070859A1 (en) |
Cited By (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
WO2005122305A1 (en) * | 2004-06-07 | 2005-12-22 | Hyteon, Inc. | Fuel cell stack with even distributing gas manifolds |
WO2007017054A3 (en) * | 2005-07-27 | 2008-06-26 | Ird Fuel Cells As | Modified fuel cells with internal humidification and/or temperature control systems |
US10141583B2 (en) | 2014-04-02 | 2018-11-27 | Volkswagen Ag | Bipolar plate and fuel cell comprising a bipolar plate of this type |
Families Citing this family (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US7718298B2 (en) * | 2007-03-12 | 2010-05-18 | Gm Global Technology Operations, Inc. | Bifurcation of flow channels in bipolar plate flowfields |
Citations (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20020172852A1 (en) * | 2001-05-15 | 2002-11-21 | David Frank | Flow field plate for a fuel cell and fuel cell assembly incorporating the flow field plate |
US6528196B1 (en) * | 1999-08-13 | 2003-03-04 | Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha | Fuel cell stack having bent section flow passage grooves |
-
2003
- 2003-12-10 WO PCT/US2003/039144 patent/WO2004070859A1/en active Application Filing
- 2003-12-10 DE DE10394052T patent/DE10394052T5/en not_active Ceased
- 2003-12-10 AU AU2003293466A patent/AU2003293466A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2003-12-10 JP JP2004568019A patent/JP2006514404A/en not_active Withdrawn
Patent Citations (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US6528196B1 (en) * | 1999-08-13 | 2003-03-04 | Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha | Fuel cell stack having bent section flow passage grooves |
US20020172852A1 (en) * | 2001-05-15 | 2002-11-21 | David Frank | Flow field plate for a fuel cell and fuel cell assembly incorporating the flow field plate |
Cited By (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
WO2005122305A1 (en) * | 2004-06-07 | 2005-12-22 | Hyteon, Inc. | Fuel cell stack with even distributing gas manifolds |
US7531264B2 (en) | 2004-06-07 | 2009-05-12 | Hyteon Inc. | Fuel cell stack with even distributing gas manifolds |
WO2007017054A3 (en) * | 2005-07-27 | 2008-06-26 | Ird Fuel Cells As | Modified fuel cells with internal humidification and/or temperature control systems |
US7727660B2 (en) | 2005-07-27 | 2010-06-01 | Ird Fuel Cells A/S | Modified fuel cells with internal humidification and/or temperature control systems |
US10141583B2 (en) | 2014-04-02 | 2018-11-27 | Volkswagen Ag | Bipolar plate and fuel cell comprising a bipolar plate of this type |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
AU2003293466A1 (en) | 2004-08-30 |
JP2006514404A (en) | 2006-04-27 |
DE10394052T5 (en) | 2005-11-17 |
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