Method for making fuel cell module having curved membrane electrode assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10249899-B2
Application number	US-201514970055-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 15, 2015
Priority date	May 28, 2015
Publication date	Apr 2, 2019
Grant date	Apr 2, 2019

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a method for making fuel cell system. The fuel cell system includes a fuel cell module curved to form a chamber. The fuel cell module includes a container having a number of through holes and a membrane electrode assembly located on the container and cover the number of through holes. The membrane electrode assembly includes a proton exchange membrane having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, a cathode electrode located on the first surface and an anode electrode located on the second surface. A fuel cell module is at least partially immerged in the fuel and the oxidizing gas is supplied in to the chamber of the fuel cell module.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for making fuel cell module, the method comprising:
providing a container, wherein the container comprises a housing and a nozzle, and the housing defines a plurality of through holes, wherein the housing defines a chamber and an opening, wherein the nozzle has a first end connected to the opening and a second end opposite to the first end; and
applying a membrane electrode assembly, which is flexible, on the container to form a curved membrane electrode assembly surrounding the chamber and covering the plurality of through holes, wherein the membrane electrode assembly comprises a proton exchange membrane having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, a cathode electrode located on the first surface and an anode electrode located on the second surface.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the container further comprises a baffle located in both the nozzle and the chamber.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the housing defines a first opening and a second opening; and the container comprises a first nozzle in connected to the first opening and a second nozzle in connected to the second opening.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the container further comprises a baffle located in the chamber to divide the chamber in to a first space connected to the first nozzle and a second space connected to the second nozzle.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein a ratio between a first maximum diameter of the chamber and a second maximum diameter of the nozzle is in a range from about 1.5:1 to about 100:1.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the container comprises rigid materials selected from the group consisting of metal, ceramic, glass, quartz, diamond and plastic.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein a shape of the housing is spherical, hemispherical, cylindrical or bellows shape.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the container comprises an outside surface and an inside surface opposite to the outside surface; and the membrane electrode assembly is located on the inside surface.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the container comprises an outside surface and an inside surface opposite to the outside surface; and the membrane electrode assembly is located on the outside surface.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the container is made of conductive material and used as a first current collector; and the fuel cell module further comprises a second current collector so that the membrane electrode assembly is located between the first current collector and the second current collector.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the container is made of insulative material; further comprises a first current collector located between the container and the membrane electrode assembly and a second current collector, and the membrane electrode assembly is located between the first current collector and the second current collector.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the cathode electrode and the anode electrode comprises a gas diffusion layer and catalyst dispersed on the gas diffusion layer.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the membrane electrode assembly is located on entire outside surface or entire inside surface of the housing.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the membrane electrode assembly is further located on entire outside surface or entire inside surface of the nozzle.

Assignees

• Univ Tsinghua
• Hon Hai Prec Ind Co Ltd

Inventors

• Zhang Li-Na
• Gao Xin-Yu
• Yang qi-yao
• Jiang Kai-Li
• Liu Chang-Hong
• Fan Shou-Shan

Classifications

• H01M8/0606

  with means for production of gaseous reactants · CPC title

• H01M8/1006 Primary

  Corrugated, curved or wave-shaped MEA · CPC title

• H01M4/8807

  Gas diffusion layers · CPC title

• H01M8/1007

  with both reactants being gaseous or vaporised (H01M8/12 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M8/002

  Shape, form of a fuel cell · CPC title