Method Of Manufacturing An Integrated Water Vapor Transfer Device And Fuel Cell-II

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019252705-A1
Application number	US-201815897243-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 15, 2018
Priority date	Feb 15, 2018
Publication date	Aug 15, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a method for manufacturing an integrated MEA, the method includes the following steps: (1) providing a substrate having an AA region and a WVT region; (2) simultaneously coating a microporous layer, a catalyst layer, and a first membrane ionomer layer onto the substrate; (3) applying an optional membrane support layer to the first membrane ionomer layer in the AA region and the WVT region; (4) applying an optional second membrane ionomer layer; (5) heating treating a coated substrate; and (6) assembling the coated substrate to a companion coated substrate.

First claim

1 . A method for manufacturing an integrated MEA for a fuel cell with an integrated WVT region, the method comprising:
providing a substrate having an AA region and a WVT region; simultaneously coating a microporous layer, a catalyst-containing layer, and a first membrane ionomer layer onto the substrate; heat-treating a coated substrate formed by the substrate and a plurality of layers applied to the substrate; and assembling the coated substrate to a companion coated substrate.

2 . The method for manufacturing an integrated MEA as defined in claim 1 further includes the step of applying a membrane support layer to the first membrane ionomer layer.

3 . The method for manufacturing an integrated MEA as defined in claim 2 further includes the step of coating the second membrane ionomer layer.

4 . The method for manufacturing an integrated MEA as defined in claim 3 wherein the catalyst-containing layer includes a catalyst solely applied to the AA region and a mixed carbon/ionomer solution applied to the WVT region.

5 . The method for manufacturing an integrated MEA as defined in claim 3 wherein the AA region of the coated substrate includes a substrate layer, the microporous layer, the catalyst layer, the first membrane ionomer layer, the membrane support layer, and the second membrane ionomer layer.

6 . The method for manufacturing an integrated MEA as defined in claim 3 wherein the WVT region of the coated substrate includes a substrate layer, the microporous layer, the first membrane ionomer layer, the membrane support layer, and the second membrane ionomer layer.

7 . The method for manufacturing an integrated MEA as defined in claim 4 wherein the WVT region includes a substrate layer, the microporous layer, a mixed carbon/ionomer layer, the first membrane ionomer layer, the membrane support layer, and the second membrane ionomer layer.

8 . The method for manufacturing an integrated MEA as defined in claim 1 wherein a die coating tool applies the microporous layer, the catalyst layer, and the first membrane ionomer layer simultaneously onto the substrate.

9 . A method for manufacturing an integrated MEA for a fuel cell with an integrated WVT region, the method comprising:
providing a substrate having an AA region and a WVT region; coating a microporous layer across the substrate; simultaneously coating a catalyst layer and a first ionomer layer onto the microporous layer; heat-treating a coated substrate formed by the substrate and a plurality of layers applied to the substrate; and assembling the coated substrate to a companion coated substrate.

10 . The method for manufacturing an integrated MEA as defined in claim 9 further comprising the step of applying a membrane support layer to the first membrane ionomer layer.

11 . The method for manufacturing an integrated MEA as defined in claim 10 further comprising the step of applying a second membrane ionomer layer.

12 . The method for manufacturing an integrated MEA as defined in claim 11 wherein the AA region of the coated substrate includes a substrate layer, the microporous layer, the catalyst layer, the first membrane ionomer layer, the membrane support layer, and the second membrane ionomer layer.

13 . The method for manufacturing an integrated MEA as defined in claim 11 wherein a the WVT region of the coated substrate includes a substrate layer, the microporous layer, the first membrane ionomer layer, the membrane support layer, and the second membrane ionomer.

14 . A method for manufacturing an integrated MEA, the method comprising:
providing a substrate having an AA region and a WVT region; simultaneously applying a stripe-coated microporous layer, a stripe-coated catalyst-containing layer, and a first stripe-coated membrane ionomer layer onto the substrate; heat treating a coated substrate formed by the substrate and a plurality of layers applied to the substrate; and assembling the coated substrate to a companion coated substrate wherein the stripe-coated microporous layer is hydrophobic in the AA region and hydrophilic in the WVT region, the stripe-coated catalyst-containing layer includes a catalyst layer solely disposed in the AA region and a mixed carbon/ionomer layer solely disposed in the WVT region, the first stripe-coated membrane ionomer layer includes the a first fuel cell membrane ionomer solution in the AA region and a WVT membrane ionomer in the WVT region.

15 . The method of manufacturing an integrated MEA as defined in claim 14 further comprising the step of applying a membrane support layer onto the first stripe-coated membrane ionomer layer.

16 . The method of manufacturing an integrated MEA as defined in claim 15 further comprising the step of applying a second stripe-coated membrane ionomer layer.

17 . The method of manufacturing an integrated MEA as defined in claim 16 wherein the second stripe-coated membrane ionomer layer includes a second fuel cell membrane ionomer in the AA region and a second WVT membrane ionomer in the WVT region.

18 . The method of claim 14 wherein the substrate is a gas diffusion media.

19 . The method for manufacturing an integrated MEA as defined in claim 16 wherein the AA region of the coated substrate includes a substrate layer, the hydrophobic microporous layer, the catalyst layer, the first fuel cell membrane ionomer layer, the membrane support layer, and the second fuel cell membrane ionomer layer.

20 . The method for manufacturing an integrated MEA as defined in claim 16 wherein the WVT region of the coated substrate includes a substrate layer, the hydrophilic microporous layer, the mixed carbon/ionomer layer, the first WVT membrane ionomer layer, the membrane support layer, and the second WVT membrane ionomer layer.

21 . A method for manufacturing an integrated MEA, the method comprising:
providing a substrate having an AA region and a WVT region; applying a stripe-coated microporous layer onto the substrate; simultaneously applying a stripe-coated catalyst layer and a first stripe-coated fuel cell membrane ionomer layer onto the stripe-coated microporous layer; heat-treating a coated substrate formed by the substrate and a plurality of layers applied to the substrate; and assembling the coated substrate to a companion coated substrate wherein the stripe-coated microporous layer is hydrophobic in the AA region and hydrophilic in the WVT region, the stripe-coated catalyst-containing layer includes a catalyst layer solely applied to the AA region and a mixed carbon/ionomer layer solely applied to the WVT region, the first stripe-coated membrane ionomer layer includes a first fuel cell membrane ionomer solution in the AA region and a first WVT membrane ionomer solution applied in the WVT region, and the second stripe-coated membrane ionomer layer includes a second fuel cell membrane ionomer solution applied in the AA region and a second WVT membrane ionomer solution applied in the WVT region.

22 . The method for manufacturing an integrated MEA as defined in claim 23 further comprising the step of applying a membrane support layer onto first stripe-coated membrane ionomer layer.

23 . The method for manufacturing an integrated MEA as defined in claim 22 further comprising the step of applying a second stripe-coated membrane ionomer layer thereby forming a coated substrate.

24 . The method for manufacturing an integrated MEA as defined in claim 23 wherein the AA

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Mathias Mark F
• Lakshmanan Balasubramanian
• Kumaraguru Swaminatha P
• Moose Scott C

Classifications

• H01M4/8663

  Selection of inactive substances as ingredients for catalytic active masses, e.g. binders, fillers · CPC title

• H01M8/0258

  characterised by the configuration of channels, e.g. by the flow field of the reactant or coolant · CPC title

• H01M8/1004 Primary

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

• H01M8/1007

  with both reactants being gaseous or vaporised (H01M8/12 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M4/8657

  layered · CPC title