Self-maintained flow cell device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12155104-B2
Application number	US-201715809760-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 10, 2017
Priority date	Feb 23, 2017
Publication date	Nov 26, 2024
Grant date	Nov 26, 2024

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a method of fabricating 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.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of fabricating a flow cell device comprising:
providing two half-cells;
inserting an exchange membrane between the half-cells, said membrane extending in a plane with each half-cell on a respective side of said plane sandwiching the membrane;
positioning the membrane so as to define a peripheral space; and
filling an adhesive into said peripheral space to secure the two half-cells to each other with the membrane encapsulated therein, wherein the membrane spans a smaller area than each of respective area of the half-cells, whereby the 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 method according to claim 1 , wherein said peripheral space extends up to a lateral, peripheral edge surface of each of the two half-cells, said method further comprising:
inserting the adhesive from a lateral side of the device.

3. The method 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, said method further comprising:
prior to inserting the membrane, processing said pinning structure on one or each of said two opposing faces of the half-cells.

4. The method according to claim 1 , 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, said method further comprising:
prior to inserting the membrane, aligning and bonding the flow channel structure to a supporting structure of each of the half-cells.

5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising: locating said pinning structure vis-à-vis a peripheral area of the membrane.

6. The method according to claim 3 , wherein said pinning structure is a recess extending perpendicularly to said opposing faces.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein each of the two half-cells comprises the recess.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a volume of the device is less than 100 mm 3 .

9. The method 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.

10. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
coating the membrane with a catalyst material or providing a functionalized surface, on each side of said plane.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the membrane is a micro-or a nano-porous separator.

12. The method according to claim 9 , wherein each of the half-cells further comprises a flow channel structure to transport fluid, the flow channel structure extending 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.

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

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

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Ebejer Neil
• Ruch Patrick

Classifications

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/18

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

• H01M8/2455

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

• H01M8/2465 Primary

  Details of groupings of fuel cells · CPC title