Fuel cell flow plate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10050286-B2
Application number	US-201415108769-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 17, 2014
Priority date	Dec 31, 2013
Publication date	Aug 14, 2018
Grant date	Aug 14, 2018

Abstract

A fuel cell flow plate having a first layer ( 12 ) comprising an electrically conductive hydrophobic layer; and a second layer ( 13 ) comprising a graphene coating.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fuel cell flow plate comprising:
a flow plate base;
a first layer comprising an electrically conductive hydrophobic layer including a polymer having conductive particles dispersed therein; and
a second layer comprising a graphene coating of less than ten graphene layers;
wherein the first layer is disposed between the flow plate base and the second layer, the first layer is arranged in a plane on the fuel cell flow plate and the first layer is conductive in the direction through the plane and less conductive in the direction in the plane.

2. A fuel cell flow plate according to claim 1 , wherein the first layer is anisotropically electrically conductive.

3. The fuel cell flow plate according to claim 1 , wherein the first layer is non-conductive in the plane.

4. The fuel cell flow plate according to claim 1 , wherein the first layer comprises an acrylic tape.

5. The fuel cell flow plate according to claim 4 , wherein the acrylic tape includes a pressure sensitive adhesive.

6. The fuel cell flow plate according to claim 1 , wherein the first layer is hydrophobic with a contact angle of greater than 90°.

7. The fuel cell flow plate according to claim 1 , wherein the fuel cell flow plate base is of metal.

8. The fuel cell flow plate according to claim 1 , wherein the fuel cell flow plate is an anode flow plate configured to direct fuel to an anode in a fuel cell.

9. A fuel cell including the fuel cell flow plate according to claim 1 .

10. A method of manufacturing a fuel cell flow plate comprising the steps of:
receiving a flow plate base;
receiving a first layer comprising an electrically conductive hydrophobic layer including a polymer having conductive particles dispersed therein;
receiving a second layer comprising a graphene coating; and
forming a fuel cell flow plate by applying the first and second layers to the flow plate base.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first layer comprises an adhesive tape and the method includes the step of applying the adhesive tape to the flow plate base.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the method includes the step of applying the graphene coating to the adhesive tape prior to applying the adhesive tape to the flow plate base.

Assignees

• Intelligent Energy Ltd

Inventors

• Ostadi Hossein

Classifications

• H01M8/0221

  Organic resins; Organic polymers · CPC title

• H01M8/0228 Primary

  in the form of layered or coated products · CPC title

• H01M8/021

  Alloys based on iron · CPC title

• H01M8/0226

  in the form of mixtures · CPC title

• H01M8/0206

  Metals or alloys · CPC title