Polymer electrolyte membrane electrochemical fuel cells and stacks with adhesively bonded layers
First Claim
1. An electrochemical cell comprising:
- a first separator plate;
a second separator plate;
a membrane electrode assembly interposed between said first and second separator plates, said membrane electrode assembly comprising a polymer electrolyte membrane interposed between first and second electrode layers; and
a substantially gas and liquid impermeable adhesive bond formed between a portion of said membrane, said first and second electrodes, and each of said separator plates, wherein said adhesive bond is formed by an adhesive material, and wherein said membrane electrode assembly, said first and second separator plates, and said adhesive bond form a unitary structural unit.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electrochemical cell stack comprises a plurality of membrane electrode assemblies interposed between pairs of separator plates. The stack comprises adhesively bonded layers. Preferably each membrane electrode assembly is adhesively bonded to the adjacent pair of separator plates. The adhesive bond between the plate and membrane electrode assembly preferably provides a substantially gas and liquid-tight seal around the perimeter of the electrochemically active area of the membrane electrode assembly and around any fluid manifold openings formed therein. Alternatively, or in addition, adjoining pairs of separator plates in an electrochemical cell stack may be adhesively bonded together. Such pairs of adhesively bonded plates may define cooling spaces between neighboring cells. Stacks comprising a plurality of individual cell modules may be formed, each module comprising a membrane electrode assembly bonded to a pair of separator plates.
92 Citations
32 Claims
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1. An electrochemical cell comprising:
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a first separator plate;
a second separator plate;
a membrane electrode assembly interposed between said first and second separator plates, said membrane electrode assembly comprising a polymer electrolyte membrane interposed between first and second electrode layers; and
a substantially gas and liquid impermeable adhesive bond formed between a portion of said membrane, said first and second electrodes, and each of said separator plates, wherein said adhesive bond is formed by an adhesive material, and wherein said membrane electrode assembly, said first and second separator plates, and said adhesive bond form a unitary structural unit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An electrolyzer or fuel cell stack comprising a plurality of membrane electrode assemblies each interposed between a pair of separator plates, each of one of said membrane electrode assemblies comprising:
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a solid polymer electrolyte membrane interposed between said first and second electrodes;
an adhesive bond between a portion of each said membrane, said first and second electrodes and a respective pair of said separator plates, thereby forming an adhesively bonded unitary structural unit, wherein said stack comprises a plurality of unitary structural units. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11)
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- 12. An electrochemical cell stack comprising a plurality of membrane electrode assemblies each interposed between a pair of substantially fluid impermeable separator plates, said stack comprising adjoining said separator plates which are adhesively bonded together.
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16. An electrochemical cell stack comprising:
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a plurality of electrochemical cells, each cell comprising;
a first separator plate having outer and inner surfaces;
a second separator plate having outer and inner surfaces;
a membrane electrode assembly having a polymer electrolyte membrane interposed between electrodes, the membrane electrode assembly being interposed between the inner surfaces of the first and second separator plates;
wherein, in at least one of the cells in the cell stack, the outer surface of the first separator plate comprises first and second grooves, the first groove being sized to receive a bead of adhesive prior to assembly of the cell stack, the second groove being spaced apart from the first groove, and the outer surface of the first separator plate of the at least one cell abuts the outer surface of the second separator plate of an adjacent electrochemical cell, at least a passage portion of the first separator plate between the first and second grooves being configured to allow adhesive to pass from the first groove to the second groove during assembly of the cell stack. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A plate for an electrochemical cell, for use in combination with other electrochemical cells, to form a cell stack, the plate comprising:
an outer surface configured to abut the outer surface of another plate when the cell stack is assembled, the outer surface having first and second grooves, the first groove being sized to receive a bead of adhesive prior to assembly of the cell stack, the second groove being spaced apart from the first groove, at least a passage portion of the plate between the first and second grooves being configured to allow adhesive to pass from the first groove to the second groove during assembly of the cell stack. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method for bonding a first separator plate in an electrochemical cell stack to a second separator plate in the cell stack, the method comprising:
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providing a first groove in a first mating surface of the first separator plate;
providing a second groove in the first mating surface, the second groove being at least substantially parallel with the first groove along at least a portion of the first groove;
providing an elongated finger separating the second groove from the first groove;
depositing a bead of adhesive in the first groove;
abutting a second mating surface of the second separator plate against the first mating surface of the first separator plate to displace a portion of the bead of adhesive out of the first groove, and receiving at least some of the displaced portion of the bead of adhesive in the second groove. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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Specification