Apparatus and methods for connecting fuel cells to an external circuit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9397351-B2
Application number	US-98013010-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 28, 2010
Priority date	Dec 28, 2009
Publication date	Jul 19, 2016
Grant date	Jul 19, 2016

Abstract

Embodiments relate to a fuel cell including, an ion conducting component, two or more electrode coatings and one or more interconnects. The interconnects include a non-conductive interface region having a first surface and a second surface in which the first surface is in contact with the ion conducting component, an electron conducting component having two surfaces and a length that is parallel to the two surfaces wherein one of the surfaces is disposed adjacent to the second surface of the interface region. The electron conducting component provides an electrically conductive pathway between one of the electrode coatings and an external circuit, said pathway extending along the length of the electron conducting component.

First claim

What is claimed, is:

1. A proton exchange membrane fuel cell, comprising:
an ion conducting component;
two or more electrode coatings; and
one or more interconnects, the interconnects including
a non-conductive interface region having a first major surface and a second major surface approximately parallel to the first major surface, the first and second major surfaces being the largest two surfaces of the non-conductive interface region, in which a majority of the first major surface is in physical contact with the ion conducting component;
an electron conducting component having two surfaces and a length that is parallel to the two surfaces, wherein a majority of one of the surfaces is disposed adjacent to the second major surface of the interface region and is perpendicular to the electrode coatings,
the electron conducting component comprising a first electron conducting region and a second electron conducting region, each electron conducting region being defined between two surfaces parallel to the length of the electron conducting component,
wherein the first electron conducting component region includes a first electronically conductive material and the second electron conducting region includes a second electrically conductive material; and
wherein the second electrically conductive material is corrosion resistant and the conductivity of the first electrically conductive material is greater than the conductivity of the second electrically conductive material; and
wherein the non-conductive interface region is disposed between the electron conducting component and the ion conducting component and prevents physical contact between the ion conducting component and an entirety of the electron conducting component, and the electron conducting component provides an electrically conductive pathway between one of the electrode coatings and an external circuit, said pathway extending along the length of the electron conducting component.

2. The fuel cell of claim 1 , wherein the first electrically conductive material is selected from the group consisting of a metal, a metal alloy, and combinations thereof.

3. The fuel cell of claim 1 , wherein the second electrically conductive material comprises carbon.

4. The fuel cell of claim 1 , wherein the electron conducting component comprises two second electron conducting regions.

5. The fuel cell of claim 1 , wherein the electron conducting component and the interface region are bonded together to form a composite.

6. The fuel cell of claim 1 , further comprising a third electron conducting region that includes the first electrically conductive material.

7. The fuel cell of claim 6 , wherein the first electron conducting region is disposed on a first side of the second electron conducting region and the third electron conducting region is disposed on a second side of the second electron conducting region and the first and second sides of the second electron conducting region are opposite relative to one another.

8. The fuel cell of claim 6 , wherein the first and third electron conducting regions are substantially the same width.

9. The fuel cell of claim 6 , wherein the first electron conducting region is wider than the third electron conducting region.

10. A proton exchange membrane fuel cell layer for a fuel cell, comprising:
a composite layer having a first surface and a second surface, the composite layer including:
a plurality of current collectors; and
a plurality of ion conducting components, positioned between the current collectors;
a first plurality of electrode coatings disposed on the first surface to form anodes; and
a second plurality of electrode coatings disposed on the second surface to form cathodes, each of the first and second plurality of electrode coatings in ionic contact with one of the ion conducting components and in electrical contact with one of the current collectors,
wherein at least one of the current collectors includes a non-conductive interface region having a first major surface and a second major surface approximately parallel to the first major surface, the first and second major surfaces being the largest two surfaces of the nonconductive interface region, a majority of the first major surface in physical contact with one of the ion conducting components; and at least one electron conducting component having two surfaces and a length parallel to the two surfaces, the electron conducting component comprising a first electron conducting region and a second electron conducting region, each electron conducting region being defined between two surfaces parallel to the length of the electron conducting component,
wherein the first electron conducting component region includes a first electrically conductive material and the second electron conducting region includes a second electrically conductive material; and
wherein the second electrically conductive material is corrosion resistant and the conductivity of the first electrically conductive material is greater than the conductivity of the second electrically conductive material; and
a majority of one of the surfaces of the electron conducting component is disposed adjacent to the second major surface of the interface region and perpendicular to the first plurality and second plurality of electrode coatings; wherein the non-conductive interface region is disposed between the at least one electron conducting component and the ion conducting component physically contacting the first major surface of the non-conductive interface region and wherein the non-conductive interface region prevents physical contact between the ion conducting component physically contacting the first major surface of the non-conductive interface region and an entirety of the electron conducting component; and wherein the at least one of the current collectors provides an electrically conductive pathway between one of the first or second plurality of electrode coatings and an external circuit, said pathway extending along the length of the electron conducting component.

11. The fuel cell layer of claim 9 , further comprising an element for attaching the current collector to an external circuit.

12. The fuel cell layer of claim 10 , wherein the element includes a solder tab in electrical contact with one of the electron conducting components of the current collector.

13. The fuel cell layer of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the electron conducting components includes at least two electron conducting materials, including a first electron conducting material and a second electron conducting material.

14. The fuel cell layer of claim 13 , wherein the first electron conducting material is substantially corrosion resistant, and wherein the second electron conducting material has an electrical conductivity greater than that of the first electron conducting material.

15. The fuel cell layer of claim 14 , wherein the first electron conducting material is in electrical contact with one of the first or the second plurality of electrode coatings.

16. The fuel cell layer of claim 15 , wherein the second electron conducting material is in electrical contact with both the first electron conducting material and the external circuit, providing the electrically conductive pathway between the electrode coating and the external circuit.

17. The fuel cell of claim 1 , wherein the two or more electrode coatings are planar electrode coatings.

Assignees

• Schrooten Jeremy
• Petersen Mark
• Iaconis Jean-Louis
• Lo David
• Intelligent Energy Ltd

Inventors

• Schrooten Jeremy
• Petersen Mark
• Iaconis Jean-Louis
• Lo David

Classifications

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/0241

  Composites · CPC title

• H01M8/0215

  Glass; Ceramic materials · CPC title

• H01M2008/1095

  Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M8/0247 Primary

  characterised by the form (characterised by a channel configuration H01M8/0258) · CPC title