Microporous layer structures and gas diffusion layer assemblies in proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8945790-B2
Application number	US-201313832943-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2013
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Feb 3, 2015
Grant date	Feb 3, 2015

Abstract

In at least one embodiment, a microporous layer configured to be disposed between a catalyst layer and a gas diffusion layer of a fuel cell electrode assembly is provided. The microporous layer may have defined therein a plurality of hydrophilic pores, a plurality of hydrophobic pores with a diameter of 0.02 to 0.5 μm, and a plurality of bores with a diameter of 0.5 to 100 μm. The microporous layer structures and gas diffusion layer assemblies disclosed herein may be defined by a number of various designs and arrangements for use in proton exchange membrane fuel cell systems.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A microporous layer configured to be disposed between a catalyst layer and a gas diffusion layer of a fuel cell electrode assembly, the microporous layer comprising:
a plurality of hydrophilic pores;
a plurality of hydrophobic pores with a diameter of 0.02 to 0.5 μm; and
a plurality of bores with a diameter of 0.5 to 100 μm.

2. The microporous layer of claim 1 , wherein the hydrophobic pores have a diameter of 0.05 to 0.2 μm and th…

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Lu Zijie
• Waldecker James

Classifications

• H01M8/04291 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01M8/1007

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01M8/0239 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01M2008/1095

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01M8/0245

  Electricity · mapped topic