Self-maintained flow cell device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10553891-B2
Application number	US-201715440125-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 23, 2017
Priority date	Feb 23, 2017
Publication date	Feb 4, 2020
Grant date	Feb 4, 2020

Abstract

The present invention is notably directed to a flow cell device. The device comprises: an exchange membrane, extending essentially in a plane; an adhesive, at a periphery of the membrane; and two half-cells, each on a respective side of said plane, the half-cells sandwiching the membrane. The membrane spans a smaller area than each of the areas of the half-cells, whereby a peripheral space is defined at the periphery of the membrane between two opposing faces of the half-cells. This space is at least partly filled with an adhesive, so as to secure the two half-cells to each other with the membrane encapsulated therein. The present invention is further directed to a method of fabrication of such a flow cell device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A flow cell device comprising:
an exchange membrane, extending essentially in a plane;
an adhesive, at a periphery of the membrane; and
two half-cells, each on a respective side of said plane, the half-cells sandwiching the membrane;

wherein,
the membrane spans a smaller area than each of the areas of the half-cells, whereby a peripheral space is defined at the periphery of the membrane between two opposing faces of the half-cells, which space is at least partly filled with the adhesive, the adhesive being an epoxy resin, the epoxy resin being partly impregnated in a peripheral portion of the membrane so as to secure the two half-cells to each other with the membrane encapsulated therein, the two half-cells being solely held by said epoxy resin and do not comprise any additional mechanical force compression means to hold them, wherein each said half-cell comprises:
a main body having a flow channel structure to transport fluid; and
at least one through-via structure to provide fluid communication with the flow channel structure to permit fluids to be circulated therethrough.

2. The flow cell device according to claim 1 , wherein
said peripheral space extends up to a peripheral edge surface of each of the two half-cells.

3. The flow cell device according to claim 1 , wherein
one or each of the two half-cells comprises a pinning structure to pin the adhesive in said peripheral space.

4. The flow cell device according to claim 3 , wherein
said pinning structure is located vis-à-vis a peripheral area of the membrane.

5. The flow cell device according to claim 3 , wherein
said pinning structure is a recess extending perpendicularly to said opposing faces.

6. The flow cell device according to claim 5 , wherein
each of the two half-cells comprises such a recess.

7. The flow cell device according to claim 1 , wherein
a volume of the device is less than 100 mm 3 .

8. The flow cell device according to claim 1 , wherein
each of the half-cells comprises a layer extending parallel to the membrane, said layer being one of: a gas diffusion layer; an electrode; and a catalyst support layer.

9. The flow cell device according to claim 1 , wherein
the membrane is coated with a catalyst material or has a functionalized surface, on each side of said plane.

10. The flow cell device according to claim 1 , wherein
the membrane is a micro- or a nano-porous separator.

11. The flow cell device according to claim 8 , wherein
each flow channel structure extends parallel to said plane and being configured, together with said layer, so as to allow molecules and/or ions to diffuse from or to the flow channel structure to or from, respectively, the membrane.

12. The flow cell device according to claim 11 , wherein
each flow channel structure comprises a channel having at least one characteristic dimension that is less than 1 mm.

13. The flow cell device according to claim 1 , wherein
the flow cell device is a micro redox flow cell.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Ebejer Neil
• Ruch Patrick

Classifications

• H01M8/2455

  with liquid, solid or electrolyte-charged reactants · CPC title

• H01M8/18

  Regenerative fuel cells, e.g. redox flow batteries or secondary fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/2465 Primary

  Details of groupings of fuel cells · CPC title

• Y02E60/528

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title