Membrane-electrode assembly for water electrolysis

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018261867-A1
Application number	US-201815980357-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 15, 2018
Priority date	Oct 24, 2014
Publication date	Sep 13, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A membrane-electrode assembly for water electrolysis including a proton-exchange membrane, a first catalyst layer, a second catalyst layer, a first gas diffusion layer, a second gas diffusion layer and a first sensor chip. The proton-exchange membrane is disposed between an inner side of the first catalyst layer and an inner side of the second catalyst layer. The first gas diffusion layer is disposed on an outer side of the first catalyst layer. The second gas diffusion layer is disposed on an outer side of the second catalyst layer. The first sensor chip is sandwiched between the first catalyst layer and the first gas diffusion layer to sense an environmental change where water electrolysis takes place.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A membrane-electrode assembly for water electrolysis, comprising:
a first catalyst layer; a second catalyst layer; a proton-exchange membrane disposed between an inner side of said first catalyst layer and an inner side of said second catalyst layer; a first gas diffusion layer disposed on an outer side of said first catalyst layer, wherein an inner side of said first gas diffusion layer corresponds to said outer side of said first catalyst layer; a second gas diffusion layer disposed on an outer side of said second catalyst layer, wherein an inner side of said second gas diffusion layer corresponds to said outer side of said second catalyst layer; a first packaging rim disposed on an outer side of said first gas diffusion layer, said first packaging rim comprising a first rim portion and first sensor portions, said first sensor portions being extended from said first rim portion to said first gas diffusion layer to sense an environmental change of said first gas diffusion layer where water electrolysis takes place; and a second packaging rim disposed on an outer side of said second gas diffusion layer; wherein each of said first sensor portions has sensor devices which are formed by multi-U-type lines, wherein a width of one of said multi-U-type lines is less than a width of a conductive line for transmitting a sensed signal from said first sensor portion to a surveillance device; wherein a shape of each of said first sensor portions is formed according to said multi-U-type lines and two conductive lines to generate a hole and reduce an area of said first sensor portion; wherein said sensor devices are allocated at different locations on each of said first sensor portions; and wherein said first sensor portions extended from the first rim portion of the first packaging rim have different lengths.

2 . The membrane-electrode assembly of claim 1 , wherein said second packaging rim comprises a second rim portion and a second sensor portion, said second sensor portion being extended from said second rim portion to said second gas diffusion layer to sense an environmental change of said second gas diffusion layer where water electrolysis takes place.

3 . The membrane-electrode assembly of claim 1 , wherein said environmental change is a variation in temperature, voltage, current or pressure.

4 . A membrane-electrode assembly for water electrolysis, comprising:
a first catalyst layer; a second catalyst layer; a proton-exchange membrane disposed between an inner side of said first catalyst layer and an inner side of said second catalyst layer; a first gas diffusion layer disposed on an outer side of said first catalyst layer, wherein an inner side of said first gas diffusion layer corresponds to said outer side of said first catalyst layer; a second gas diffusion layer disposed on an outer side of said second catalyst layer, wherein an inner side of said second gas diffusion layer corresponds to said outer side of said second catalyst layer; a first packaging rim disposed on an outer side of said first gas diffusion layer, said first packaging rim comprising a first rim portion and first sensor portions, said first sensor portions being extended from said first rim portion to said first gas diffusion layer to sense an environmental change of said first gas diffusion layer where water electrolysis takes place; and a second packaging rim disposed on an outer side of said second gas diffusion layer; wherein each of said first sensor portions has sensor devices which are formed by multi-U-type lines, wherein a width of one of said multi-U-type lines is less than a width of a conductive line for transmitting a sensed signal from said first sensor portion to a surveillance device; wherein each of said first sensor portions has a plurality of holes equidistantly arranged on said first sensor portion to reduce an area of said first sensor portion; wherein said sensor devices are allocated at different locations on each of said first sensor portions; and wherein said first sensor portions extended from the first rim portion of the first packaging rim have different lengths.

5 . The membrane-electrode assembly of claim 4 , wherein said second packaging rim comprises a second rim portion and a second sensor portion, said second sensor portion being extended from said second rim portion to said second gas diffusion layer to sense an environmental change of said second gas diffusion layer where water electrolysis takes place.

6 . The membrane-electrode assembly of claim 4 , wherein said environmental change is a variation in temperature, voltage, current or pressure.

7 . A membrane-electrode assembly for water electrolysis, comprising:
a first catalyst layer; a second catalyst layer; a proton-exchange membrane disposed between an inner side of said first catalyst layer and an inner side of said second catalyst layer; a first gas diffusion layer disposed on an outer side of said first, catalyst layer, wherein an inner side of said first gas diffusion layer corresponds to said outer side of said first catalyst layer; a second gas diffusion layer disposed on an outer side of said second catalyst layer, wherein an inner side of said second gas diffusion layer corresponds to said outer side of said second catalyst layer; a first packaging rim disposed on an outer side of said first gas diffusion layer, said first packaging rim comprising a first rim portion and a first sensor portion, said first sensor portion being extended from said first rim portion to said first gas diffusion layer to sense an environmental change of said first gas diffusion layer where water electrolysis takes place; and a second packaging rim disposed on an outer side of said second gas diffusion layer; wherein said first sensor portion has sensor devices which is formed by multi-U-type lines, wherein a width of one of said multi-U-type lines is less than a width of a conductive line for transmitting a sensed signal from said first sensor portion to a surveillance device; and wherein said sensor devices are allocated at different locations on said first sensor portion.

8 . The membrane-electrode assembly of claim 7 , wherein said first sensor portion has a plurality of holes equidistantly arranged on said first sensor portion to reduce an area of said first sensor portion.

9 . The membrane-electrode assembly of claim 7 , wherein a shape of said first sensor portion is formed according to said multi-U-type lines and two conductive lines to generate a hole and reduce an area of said first sensor portion.

10 . The membrane-electrode assembly of claim 7 , wherein said second packaging rim comprises a second rim portion and a second sensor portion, said second sensor portion being extended from said second rim portion to said second gas diffusion layer to sense an environmental change of said second gas diffusion layer where water electrolysis takes place.

11 . The membrane-electrode assembly of claim 7 , wherein said environmental change is a variation in temperature, voltage, current or pressure.

Assignees

• Univ Yuan Ze
• Homytech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Chi-Yuan
• Chen Chia-Hung
• Jung Guo-Bin
• Chiang Yu-Chun
• Hsieh Chin-Lung
• Liu Yun-Min

Classifications

• H01M4/8807

  Gas diffusion layers · CPC title

• H01M8/1004 Primary

  characterised by membrane-electrode assemblies [MEA] (H01M8/12 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M2008/1095

  Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes · CPC title

• C25B1/04

  by electrolysis of water · CPC title

• C25B9/23

  comprising ion-exchange membranes in or on which electrode material is embedded · CPC title