Fuel cell electrode and fuel cell using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018323444-A1
Application number	US-201715792793-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 25, 2017
Priority date	May 8, 2017
Publication date	Nov 8, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A fuel cell electrode comprises a three-dimensional porous composite structure comprising a porous structure comprising a plurality of metal ligaments and a plurality of pores; and at least one carbon nanotube structure embedded in the porous structure and comprising a plurality of carbon nanotubes joined end to end by van der Waals attractive force, wherein the plurality of carbon nanotubes are arranged along a same direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A fuel cell electrode, comprising:
a porous structure comprising a plurality of metal ligaments and a plurality of pores; and at least one carbon nanotube structure embedded in the porous structure and comprising a plurality of carbon nanotubes joined end to end by van der Waals attractive force, wherein the plurality of carbon nanotubes are arranged along a same direction.

2 . The fuel cell electrode of claim 1 , wherein further comprising a material with catalytic property located on a surface of the porous structure.

3 . The fuel cell electrode of claim 2 , wherein the material with catalytic property are nano-oxides.

4 . The fuel cell electrode of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of pores is defined by adjacent metal ligaments.

5 . The fuel cell electrode of claim 1 , wherein a size of each of the plurality of pores is less than or equal to 100 μm.

6 . The fuel cell electrode of claim 1 , wherein material of the plurality of metal ligaments is an inert metal.

7 . The fuel cell electrode of claim 1 , wherein one part of the carbon nanotube structure is embedded in the plurality of metal ligaments, and another part of the carbon nanotube structure is located in the plurality of pores.

8 . The fuel cell electrode of claim 1 , wherein the at least one carbon nanotube structure comprises a plurality of carbon nanotube structures spaced from each other.

9 . The fuel cell electrode of claim 8 , wherein an angle between carbon nanotubes in adjacent spaced carbon nanotube structures is in a range from 0° to 90°.

10 . The fuel cell electrode of claim 9 , wherein the adjacent spaced carbon nanotube structure are parallel with each other.

11 . The fuel cell electrode of claim 1 , wherein the carbon nanotube structure comprises at least one carbon nanotube film, the at least one carbon nanotube film is a drawn carbon nanotube film comprising a plurality of successively oriented carbon nanotube segments joined end-to-end by van der Waals force therebetween.

12 . The fuel cell electrode of claim 11 , wherein the at least one carbon nanotube film comprises a plurality of carbon nanotube films coplanar or stacked.

13 . The fuel cell electrode of claim 12 , wherein an angle between carbon nanotubes in adjacent stacked carbon nanotube films is in a range from 0° to 90°.

14 . The fuel cell electrode of claim 1 , wherein the at least one carbon nanotube structure and the porous structure have a common interface.

15 . A fuel cell comprising:
an anode and a cathode, at least one of the anode and the cathode comprising a three-dimensional porous composite structure, the three-dimensional porous composite structure comprising:
a porous structure comprising a plurality of metal ligaments and a plurality of pores; and
at least one carbon nanotube structure embedded in the porous structure and comprising a plurality of carbon nanotubes joined end to end by van der Waals attractive force, wherein the plurality of carbon nanotubes are arranged along a same direction; or
a container having the anode, the cathode and electrolytes therein; and two gas paths configured to provide fuel gas and oxidant gas.

Assignees

• Univ Tsinghua
• Hon Hai Prec Ind Co Ltd

Inventors

• Fu hong-ying
• Li Wen-Zhen

Classifications

• H01M4/905 Primary

  specially used in fuel cell operating at high temperature, e.g. SOFC · CPC title

• H01M4/8657

  layered · CPC title

• H01M4/8807

  Gas diffusion layers · CPC title

• H01M4/926

  on carbon or graphite · CPC title

• H01M4/485

  of mixed oxides or hydroxides for inserting or intercalating light metals, e.g. LiTi2O4 or LiTi2OxFy (H01M4/505, H01M4/525 take precedence) · CPC title