Catalyst layer with through-holes for fuel cells

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016133944-A1
Application number	US-201514933009-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 5, 2015
Priority date	Nov 7, 2014
Publication date	May 12, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The performance of solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell stacks can be improved by incorporating an appropriate set of through-holes in the catalyst layers, and particularly in the cathode catalyst layers. Intaglio methods suitable for manufacturing catalyst layers with through-holes are disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An intaglio method of making a catalyst coated membrane, the catalyst coated membrane comprising a solid polymer electrolyte membrane coated with a catalyst layer, the catalyst layer comprising a plurality of through-holes, the method comprising:
providing a printing surface comprising a depression and a plurality of pillars arranged in a pattern within the depression; filling the depression with an ink comprising the catalyst; drying the ink in the depression of the printing surface; contacting a sheet of the solid polymer electrolyte to the printing surface; and applying pressure and heat to the contacted solid polymer electrolyte and printing surface, thereby making the catalyst coated membrane wherein the plurality of through-holes are located in accordance with the locations of the plurality of pillars in the printing surface.

2 . The intaglio method of claim 1 wherein the printing surface is a plate or a drum.

3 . The intaglio method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of pillars are shaped as right circular cylinders.

4 . The intaglio method of claim 1 wherein the equivalent diameter of the pillars is in the range from about 1 to 500 micrometers.

5 . The intaglio method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of pillars in the pattern are spaced apart with an average spacing of from about 4 to 1000 micrometers.

6 . The intaglio method of claim 1 wherein the filling comprises inkjet printing.

7 . The intaglio method of claim 1 wherein the filling comprises overfilling the depression with the ink and squeegeeing away excess ink from the surfaces of the plurality of pillars and the printing surface surrounding the depression.

8 . The intaglio method of claim 1 comprising applying pressure to the contacted solid polymer electrolyte and printing surface in the range from about 5 to 16 bar.

9 . The intaglio method of claim 1 comprising applying heat to the contacted solid polymer electrolyte and printing surface in the range from about 100 to 150° C.

10 . The intaglio method of claim 1 wherein the coated catalyst layer is from about 1.5 to 15 micrometers thick.

11 . The intaglio method of claim 1 wherein the coated catalyst layer comprises from about 0.01 to 0.5 mg/cm 2 of platinum catalyst.

12 . A solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell stack comprising a series stack of solid polymer electrolyte fuel cells wherein the solid polymer electrolyte fuel cells each comprise:
a catalyst coated membrane comprising:
a solid polymer electrolyte;
an anode layer comprising anode catalyst coated on one side of the solid polymer electrolyte; and
a cathode layer comprising anode catalyst coated on the other side of the solid polymer electrolyte;
an anode gas diffusion layer adjacent the anode layer of the catalyst coated membrane; a cathode gas diffusion layer adjacent the cathode layer of the catalyst coated membrane; and characterized in that the cathode layer comprises a plurality of through-holes arranged in a pattern.

13 . The solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell stack of claim 12 wherein the plurality of through-holes are shaped as right circular cylinders.

14 . The solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell stack of claim 12 wherein the equivalent diameter of the through-holes is in the range from about 1 to 500 micrometers.

15 . The solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell stack of claim 12 wherein the plurality of through-holes in the pattern are spaced apart with an average spacing of from about 4 to 1000 micrometers.

16 . The solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell stack of claim 12 wherein the coated catalyst layer is from about 1.5 to 15 micrometers thick.

17 . The solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell stack of claim 12 wherein the coated catalyst layer comprises from about 0.01 to 0.5 mg/cm 2 of platinum catalyst.

18 . The solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell stack of claim 12 wherein the plurality of through-holes occupies about 1 to 20% of the area of the cathode layer.

19 . The solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell stack of claim 12 wherein the ratio of the equivalent diameter of the through-holes to the average spacing of the through-holes is from about 0.1 to 0.5.

20 . A method of operating the solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell stack of claim 12 comprising:
supplying fuel to the anode layers in the fuel cells at greater than ambient pressure;
supplying oxidant to the cathode layers in the fuel cells at greater than ambient pressure; and
drawing power at greater than 1 W/cm 2 from the fuel cells.

Assignees

• Saha Madhu
• Soboleva Tatyana
• Stumper Juergen
• Hu Jingwei
• Ford Motor Co
• Daimler Ag

Inventors

• Saha Madhu
• Soboleva Tatyana
• Stumper Juergen
• Hu Jingwei

Classifications

• H01M2008/1095

  Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M4/8626 Primary

  characterised by the form · CPC title

• H01M8/241

  with solid or matrix-supported electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M2300/0082

  Organic polymers · CPC title

• H01M8/1018

  Polymeric electrolyte materials · CPC title