Patent ID: 8192891

Claim:
A monopolar membrane electrode assembly (MEA) comprising: an electrolyte membrane having a plurality of cell regions; an anode supporting body and a cathode supporting body respectively formed on opposite surfaces of the electrolyte membrane, and each having a plurality of first openings corresponding to each of the cell regions and a plurality of second openings peripheral to respective cell regions; a plurality of anode current collecting bodies and a plurality of cathode current collecting bodies that are respectively installed in each of the cell regions on the anode and cathode supporting bodies, and comprising current collecting units to collect current from the cell regions and conduction units formed on a side of the current collecting units; a plurality of anode electrodes and cathode electrodes respectively installed on the anode current collecting bodies and the cathode current collecting bodies, the plurality of anode current collecting bodies, the plurality of cathode current collecting bodies, the plurality of anode electrodes, the plurality of cathode electrodes, and the electrolyte membrane forming a plurality of unit cells, each unit cell corresponding to one of the cell regions; and a plurality of sensing elements, each sensing element detecting a change in an operation state condition in a respective one of the plurality of unit cells in the monopolar MEA during electricity generation or electrical connection, and each sensing element being mounted in an anode current collecting body or a cathode current collecting body of the respective one of the unit cells and contacting the electrolyte membrane, and each sensing element being individually connected to an external device through a respective wire disposed on the anode supporting body or cathode supporting body, wherein: the electrolyte membrane includes electrolyte membrane holes corresponding to the second openings of the anode supporting body and cathode supporting body, and ends of the conduction units of the cathode current collecting bodies are electrically connected in series to ends of the conduction units of adjacent anode current collecting bodies through the electrolyte membrane holes and the second openings.