Fuel cell for detecting a pollutant

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10283784-B2
Application number	US-201515512219-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 15, 2015
Priority date	Sep 19, 2014
Publication date	May 7, 2019
Grant date	May 7, 2019

Abstract

A fuel cell including: a diaphragm/electrodes assembly including a first electrode forming an anode, and a first reinforcement attached to a surface of the diaphragm and surrounding the first electrode; two bipolar plates, having the diaphragm/electrodes assembly placed therebetween and including at least one flow collector passing therethrough, a first surface of the diaphragm including an active area and a connection area and arranged between the flow collector and the active area; a conductor track rigidly connected to the first surface of the diaphragm and extending between the connection area and one edge of the diaphragm that projects beyond the first reinforcement; and a measurement electrode, positioned on the connection area of the first surface of the diaphragm and making electrical contact with the conductor track.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fuel cell stack, comprising:
a membrane/electrode assembly including a proton exchange membrane, a first electrode forming an anode or a cathode making contact with a first face of the membrane, and a first reinforcement fixed to the first face of the membrane and surrounding the first electrode;
two bipolar plates between which the membrane/electrode assembly is positioned, at least one flow manifold passing through the bipolar plates and in communication with the first face of the membrane;
the first face of the membrane comprises an active zone, which is covered by the first electrode, and a connection zone, which is not covered by the electrode and is positioned between the flow manifold and the active zone;
the fuel cell stack further comprising:
a conductive track secured to the first face of the membrane and extending between the connection zone and an edge of the membrane protruding beyond the first reinforcement;
a measurement electrode including a catalytic material, positioned on the connection zone of the first face of the membrane and making electrical contact with the conductive track, the measurement electrode being electrically isolated with respect to the bipolar plates.

2. The fuel cell stack as claimed in claim 1 , wherein thickness of the conductive track is at most equal to 10 μm.

3. The fuel cell stack as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the conductive track is a circuit printed on the first face of the membrane.

4. The fuel cell stack as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the measurement electrode is fixed in contact with the first face of the membrane.

5. The fuel cell stack as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the measurement electrode comprises an ionomer matrix in which a catalytic material is included.

6. The fuel cell stack as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a gas diffusion layer making contact with the first electrode and one of the bipolar plates, the gas diffusion layer comprising an aperture facing the measurement electrode such that the gas diffusion layer and the measurement electrode do not make contact.

7. The fuel cell stack as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the measurement electrode is covered by a porous, electrically insulating element.

8. The fuel cell stack as claimed in claim 1 , wherein one of the bipolar plates comprises homogenization channels in communication with the flow manifold and superposed onto the connection zone.

9. The fuel cell stack as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a second reinforcement fixed to a second face of the membrane, the second reinforcement comprising a portion being superposed onto the edge of the membrane protruding beyond the first reinforcement.

10. The fuel cell stack as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the catalytic material includes platinum or a platinum alloy.

11. The fuel cell stack as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the measurement electrode covers an area of between 5 and 40 mm 2 of the connection zone.

12. The fuel cell stack as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first electrode is an anode.

13. The fuel cell stack as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a reference electrode and a second conductive track which is secured to the first face of the membrane, the reference electrode and the second conductive track being positioned on a portion of the membrane protruding beyond the first reinforcement, the reference electrode being positioned in contact with a reference fluid.

14. A method for manufacturing a fuel cell stack, comprising:
producing a membrane/electrode assembly including a proton exchange membrane, a first electrode forming an anode or a cathode making contact with a first face of the membrane, and a reinforcement fixed to the first face of the membrane and surrounding the first electrode, the first face of the membrane comprising an active zone, which is covered by the first electrode, and a connection zone, which is not covered by the first electrode, the membrane/electrode assembly additionally comprising a conductive track secured to the first face of the membrane and extending between the connection zone and an edge of the membrane protruding beyond the reinforcement, the membrane/electrode assembly additionally comprising a measurement electrode including a catalytic material, positioned on the connection zone of the first face of the membrane and making electrical contact with the conductive track;
positioning the produced membrane/electrode assembly between two bipolar plates, a flow manifold passing through the bipolar plates such that the flow manifold is in communication with the first face of the membrane and such that the measurement electrode is electrically isolated with respect to the bipolar plates.

15. The method for manufacturing a fuel cell stack as claimed in claim 14 , comprising a prior forming the conductive track and securing the conductive track to the first face of the membrane by depositing an ink including a catalytic material on the first face of the membrane.

Assignees

• Commissariat Energie Atomique

Inventors

• Vincent Remi
• Rosini Sebastien
• Tremblay Denis

Classifications

• H01M8/0267

  having heating or cooling means, e.g. heaters or coolant flow channels · CPC title

• H01M8/0256

  Vias, i.e. connectors passing through the separator material · CPC title

• G01N27/42

  Measuring deposition or liberation of materials from an electrolyte; Coulometry, i.e. measuring coulomb-equivalent of material in an electrolyte · CPC title

• H01M8/0258

  characterised by the configuration of channels, e.g. by the flow field of the reactant or coolant · CPC title

• H01M8/0273

  with sealing or supporting means in the form of a frame · CPC title