Fuel cell

• US 6,630,269 B1
• Filed: 12/29/2000
• Issued: 10/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Firma Carl Freudenberg
• Original Assignee: Firma Carl Freudenberg
• Inventors: Barth, Thomas, Kaspar, Klaus, Severich, Birgit
• Primary Examiner(s): Ryan, Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALEJANDRO, RAYMOND
• Application Number:
  US09/700,001
• Time in Patent Office: 1,012 Days
• Field of Search: 429/38, 429/39, 429/34, 429/30, 429/40, 429/42, 429/41, 429/44, 502/101
• US Class Current: 429/481
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2300/0082 Organic polymers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/8605 Porous electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0289 Means for holding the electrolyte solid polymer electrolytes H01M8/1018
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0293 Matrices for immobilising electrolyte solutions
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1004 characterised by membrane-electrode assemblies [MEA] H01M8/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1016 characterised by the electrolyte material H01M8/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

A fuel cell, comprising a housing, at least one first proton-conducting layer covered by catalyst layers on both sides, gas-permeable electrodes on the catalyst layers and second layers arranged on both sides of the first layers, whereby said second layers take the form of electro-conductive plates that are located in closely adjacent electro-conductive contact with the electrodes, define gas conducting channels in conjunction with the electrodes and one layer touches the other layer by means of a substantially planar surface. The electrodes are made of at least one layer of electro-conductive polymer fibers that is intersected by flow channels running parallel to the surface thereof in at least one direction.

Claims

1. A fuel cell comprising:

a housing;

at least one proton-conducting first ply having sides, and which is covered by catalyst plies on both of its sides;

gas-permeable electrodes on the catalyst plies;

second plies in the form of electrically conductive plates arranged on both sides of the first plies, which contact the electrodes in an electrically conductive manner and delimit, together with the electrodes, gas-conducting channels, at least one if the first and second plies having an essentially planar surface, and the electrodes being formed, through at least one layer, by electrically conductive fibers having a titer of 10 to 50 dtex made of a polymeric material, which are traversed in at least one direction by flow channels running parallel to their surfaces, wherein the layer has a multi-ply structure and includes at least one open-structured support ply between two covering plies with the covering plies having a higher density than the open-structured support ply.

2. The fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the layer is formed by one of a nonwoven, woven, and knitted fabric.

3. The fuel cell according to claim 2, in which the layer is made of polymeric fibers and wherein the layer has a weight per unit surface of 50 to 250 g/m² for a thickness of 2 to 6 mm.

4. The fuel cell according to claim 1, in which the fibers have a titer of 15 to 35 dtex.

5. The fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the fibers forming the support ply are arranged essentially perpendicularly to the cover plies.

6. The fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the fibers are arranged in a path of any gases enclosed in channels.

7. The fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the layer contains fibers made of carbonized polyacrylnitrile, metal, and/or pitch.

8. The fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the layer contains fibers made of carbonized polyacrylnitrile, metal, and/or pitch.

9. A fuel cell comprising:

a housing;

at least one proton-conducting first ply having sides, and which is covered by catalyst plies on both of its sides;

gas-permeable electrodes on the catalyst plies;

second plies in the form of electrically conductive plates arranged on both sides of the first plies, which contact the electrodes in an electrically conductive manner and delimit, together with the electrodes, gas-conducting channels, at least one of the first and second plies having an essentially planar surface, and the electrodes being formed, through at least one layer, by electrically conductive fibers having a titer of 10 to 50 dtex made of a polymeric materialwhich are traversed in at least one direction by flow channels running parallel to their surfaces, wherein the layer has a multi-ply structure and includes at least one open-structured support ply between two covering plies with the covering plies having a higher density than the open-structured support ply, and wherein the layer is formed by one of a nonwoven, woven, and knitted fabric.

10. The fuel cell according to claim 9, wherein the fibers forming the support ply are arranged essentially perpendicular to the cover plies.