Patent ID: 7790330
Filing Date: 2010-09-07
Classification: H01M,Y02E

Abstract:
1. A polymer electrolyte fuel cell structure, comprising: a proton exchange membrane having an anode side and an opposite, cathode side; an anode catalyst layer located on the anode side of the proton exchange membrane; a cathode catalyst layer located on the cathode side of the proton exchange membrane; a sealing frame located on each of the anode side and the cathode side of the proton exchange membrane and generally adjacent to the proton exchange membrane, with each of the sealing frames having an opening therein that extends in a direction corresponding to the thickness of the sealing frame; a gas distribution layer located on each of the anode side and the cathode side of the proton exchange membrane and within the opening in a respective one of the sealing frames so as to be near the proton exchange membrane with the respective sealing frames bordering the gas distribution layers along edge surfaces thereof; wherein at least one of the gas distribution layers has a flat, porous structure with aqueous phase gas-distribution-layer channels being formed in a surface thereof that faces toward a corresponding surface of the proton exchange membrane, with the aqueous phase gas-distribution-layer channels extending generally parallel to each other and generally parallel to the surface of the gas distribution layer in which they are formed; an anode gas inlet; a first, anode gas passageway that provides fluid communication from the anode gas inlet to the gas distribution layer that is located on the anode side of the proton exchange membrane; an anode gas outlet; a second, anode gas passageway that provides fluid communication from the gas distribution layer that is located on the anode side of the proton exchange membrane to the anode gas outlet; a cathode gas inlet; a third, cathode gas passageway that provides fluid communication from the cathode gas inlet to the gas distribution layer that is located on the cathode side of the proton exchange membrane; a cathode gas outlet; a fourth, cathode gas passageway that provides fluid communication from the gas distribution layer that is located on the cathode side of the proton exchange membrane to the cathode gas outlet; a first aqueous-phase material inlet; a fifth, aqueous-phase material passageway that provides fluid communication from the first aqueous-phase material inlet to the gas-distribution-layer aqueous phase channels, wherein said gas-distribution-layer aqueous phase channels are open-sided along the lengths thereof but, at the same time, bounded by corresponding portions of said corresponding surface of the proton exchange membrane such that aqueous-phase material that enters the gas-distribution-layer aqueous phase channels from the fifth, aqueous-phase material passageway is directly exposed to and in direct contact with said corresponding portions of said corresponding surface of the proton exchange membrane; a first aqueous-phase material outlet; and a sixth, aqueous-phase material passageway that provides fluid communication from the gas-distribution-layer aqueous phase channels to the aqueous-phase material outlet.