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Interconnector for SOFC stacks
Patents Stack with compression bands Applicant: Ballard Power Systems Inc, Canada A fuel cell stack includes a number of fuel cell assemblies located between a pair of endplate assemblies. The mechanism for securing the stack in its compressed (i.e. assembled) state includes at least one compression band which wraps around the endplates and the fuel cell assemblies in the stack. One or both of the endplate assemblies should comprise a resilient member which cooperates with each compression band to pull the endplate assemblies together, to promote sealing and electrical contact between the layers forming the fuel cell stack. Patent number: US 5789091 Date: 4 August 1998 Inventors: B. Wozniczka, N.J. Fletcher, P.R. Gibb
Low profile fuel cell Applicant: Texas Instruments Inc, USA A fuel cell stack comprises several manifolds separated by membranes. Each manifold forms overlapping chambers for adjacent cells, in such a way that the depth of chambers for adjacent cells is not additive. Here the manifolds are formed of a plastic material with conductive vias formed through them, to reduce the cost associated with graphite vias. Patent number: US 5789093 Date: 4 August 1998 Inventor: S. Malhi
Stack with solid electrolytes Applicant/Inventor: U.G. Bossel, Switzerland The invention concerns a portable fuel cell arrangement for converting liquid or gaseous hydrocarbons into electrical direct current. It comprises disc-shaped fuel cells layered axially in a stack which is secured by a tie rod; the fuel cell has an aperture for gas intake and to accommodate the tie rod. The fuel cell comprises a high-temperature ion-conducting ceramic electrolyte or a low-temperature polymer electrolyte; a porous cathode layer for the oxygen and a porous anode layer for the fuel (one on each side of the electrolyte); a gas-permeable carrier; a small separator plate; and a large electrically conductive separator plate, which guides the gases in a targeted manner. Patent number: WO 98135398 Date: 13 August 1998
Mounting
lining on gas manifold
Applicant: KK Toshiba, Japan The patent describes a gas manifold which has excellent resistance to phosphoric acid and which is also an excellent electric insulator; it thus has good long-term anti-corrosion properties. A resin sheet which has good resistance to phosphoric acid is folded at each inside corner of the gas manifold, so that the
sheet shrinks through thermal effects. The folded faces are bonded together airtight by heating to form a box-like lining, which lines the inner face of me gas manifold. Hooks are mounted on patches heat-bonded to the outer part of the lining, and also on patches installed on the inner face of the gas manifold. Using these hooks, the lining is fixed to (but removable from) the gas manifold. Patent number: WO 98135399 Date: 13 August 1998 Inventors: Y. Go&o, K. Iyasu, Y Abiru, T Konno
Starting a fuel cell vehicle Applicant: Daimler-Benz AG, Germany This patent describes an apparatus and method for starting a vehicle which is driven by an electric drive unit supplied with electrical energy from a fuel cell. A compressor in the feed line of the fuel cell for the oxidant mass flow is driven by an electric motor running off the me1 cell itself To start the fuel cell, a starter motor drives the compressor which is fed from a 12 V starter battery. In addition, a safety interrogation is initiated before starting the vehicle. The fuel cell is only run-up to a preset no-load power using the starter motor after successful termination of the safety interrogation. The drive unit is then released. Patent number: US 5794732 Date: 18 August 1998 Inventors: H. Lorenz, K.-E. Noreikat, T Klaiber, W. Fleck, J. Sonntag, G. Hornburg, A. Gaulhofer
Cell with reinforced membrane Applicant; E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co, USA The patent describes a fuel cell and a battery with a reinforced polymeric ion exchange membrane. The membrane comprises a porous support layer (preferably of fluorine-containing polymer) and an ion exchange resin, which is preferably a fluorinated ion exchange layer supported on one or both sides of the porous support layer. The total thickness of the membrane is between 20 and 500 pm. The membrane has low fuel crossover, high electrical conductivity and high mechanical strength. A key application for the membrane is in a direct methanol fuel cell. Patent number: US 5795668 Date 18 August 1998 Inventor. S. Banerjee
Electrode Applicants: Johnson Matthey Plc, UK; Ballard Power Systems Inc, Canada Au electrode comprises two catalytic components, with one active at gas-phase reaction sites and the second active at electrochemical reaction sites. Each catalytic component is present either as a separate layer, or a single mixed layer, or a combination of a separate layer and a single mixed layer. The electrode has improved tolerance to poisons such as CO and CO,. Patent number: US 5795669 Date: 18 August Inventors:
1998
D. Wilkinson,
H.H.
Voss, K.B. Prater,
G.A. Hards, T.R. Ralph, D. Thompsett
Electrolyte layer arrangement Applicunt: KK Toshiba, Japan The patent describes a fuel cell with several stacked cells, in each of which an electrolyte layer is held between an anode and a cathode. The electrolyte layer includes a sheet containing fine powder to hold the electrolyte, and reinforcing ceramic fibres dispersed within the sheet to encourage the electrolyte to run parallel to the sheet’s surface. Patent number: US 5795671 Date: 18 August 1998 Inventors: H. Nirasawa, T. Kawachi, T. Ogawa, K. Murata
Electrocatalytic coating for electrodes Applicant: Southwest Research Institute, USA The invention provides a low-temperature method for producing electrocatalytic coatings for fuel cell electrodes. The electrocatalytic coating comprises a thin film of diamond-like carbon doped with a finely dispersed catalytic agent, preferably platinum, platinum-ruthenium or other catalytically active materials. The method may be scaled-up as a highly economical reel-to-reel process. Patent number: US 5795672 Date: 18 August 1998 Inventor: G. Dearnaley
Interconnector
for SOFC stacks
Applicant: Forschungszentrum J&h, Germany The invention relates to an interconnector comprising an alloy body and at least one contact made of a second alloy. The technical problem of providing an interconnector in which chrome dioxide evaporation is substantially reduced, and guaranteeing sufficient electrical conductivity of the contact points between the interconnector and the electrodes, is solved by an interconnector in which the first alloy has an Al content more than 2.0% by mass and the second alloy has an Al content less than 2.0% by mass. Patent number: WO 98136464 Date: 20 August 1998 Inventors: U. Diekmann, H. Ringel
Starting-up
a cold system
Applicant: Ballard Power Systems Inc, Canada Here a method and apparatus are described for starting and operating an electric power generation system comprising a fuel cell stack for supplying electric current to an external electrical circuit. The fuel cell(s) in the stack comprise a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) with an anode, a cathode, and a water-permeable ion exchange membrane interposed between them. The fuel cell is supplied with fuel and oxidant streams. At least part of the MEA is below 0°C. The supply of electric current to the external circuit from the fuel cell stack is begun such that the temperature of the MEA exceeds the freezing temperature of water. Patent number: US 5798186 Date: 25 August 1998 Inventors: N.J. Fletcher, G.A. Boehm, E.G. Pow
Fuel Cells Bulletin
No. 1
Low profile fuel cell Applicant: Texas Instruments Inc, USA A fuel cell stack comprises several manifolds separated by membranes. Each manifold forms overlapping chambers for adjacent cells, in such a way that the depth of chambers for adjacent cells is not additive. Here the manifolds are formed of a plastic material with conductive vias formed through them, to reduce the cost associated with graphite vias. Patent number: US 5789093 Date: 4 August 1998 Inventor: S. Malhi
Stack with solid electrolytes Applicant/Inventor: U.G. Bossel, Switzerland The invention concerns a portable fuel cell arrangement for converting liquid or gaseous hydrocarbons into electrical direct current. It comprises disc-shaped fuel cells layered axially in a stack which is secured by a tie rod; the fuel cell has an aperture for gas intake and to accommodate the tie rod. The fuel cell comprises a high-temperature ion-conducting ceramic electrolyte or a low-temperature polymer electrolyte; a porous cathode layer for the oxygen and a porous anode layer for the fuel (one on each side of the electrolyte); a gas-permeable carrier; a small separator plate; and a large electrically conductive separator plate, which guides the gases in a targeted manner. Patent number: WO 98135398 Date: 13 August 1998
Mounting
lining on gas manifold
Applicant: KK Toshiba, Japan The patent describes a gas manifold which has excellent resistance to phosphoric acid and which is also an excellent electric insulator; it thus has good long-term anti-corrosion properties. A resin sheet which has good resistance to phosphoric acid is folded at each inside corner of the gas manifold, so that the
sheet shrinks through thermal effects. The folded faces are bonded together airtight by heating to form a box-like lining, which lines the inner face of me gas manifold. Hooks are mounted on patches heat-bonded to the outer part of the lining, and also on patches installed on the inner face of the gas manifold. Using these hooks, the lining is fixed to (but removable from) the gas manifold. Patent number: WO 98135399 Date: 13 August 1998 Inventors: Y. Go&o, K. Iyasu, Y Abiru, T Konno
Starting a fuel cell vehicle Applicant: Daimler-Benz AG, Germany This patent describes an apparatus and method for starting a vehicle which is driven by an electric drive unit supplied with electrical energy from a fuel cell. A compressor in the feed line of the fuel cell for the oxidant mass flow is driven by an electric motor running off the me1 cell itself To start the fuel cell, a starter motor drives the compressor which is fed from a 12 V starter battery. In addition, a safety interrogation is initiated before starting the vehicle. The fuel cell is only run-up to a preset no-load power using the starter motor after successful termination of the safety interrogation. The drive unit is then released. Patent number: US 5794732 Date: 18 August 1998 Inventors: H. Lorenz, K.-E. Noreikat, T Klaiber, W. Fleck, J. Sonntag, G. Hornburg, A. Gaulhofer
Cell with reinforced membrane Applicant; E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co, USA The patent describes a fuel cell and a battery with a reinforced polymeric ion exchange membrane. The membrane comprises a porous support layer (preferably of fluorine-containing polymer) and an ion exchange resin, which is preferably a fluorinated ion exchange layer supported on one or both sides of the porous support layer. The total thickness of the membrane is between 20 and 500 pm. The membrane has low fuel crossover, high electrical conductivity and high mechanical strength. A key application for the membrane is in a direct methanol fuel cell. Patent number: US 5795668 Date 18 August 1998 Inventor. S. Banerjee
Electrode Applicants: Johnson Matthey Plc, UK; Ballard Power Systems Inc, Canada Au electrode comprises two catalytic components, with one active at gas-phase reaction sites and the second active at electrochemical reaction sites. Each catalytic component is present either as a separate layer, or a single mixed layer, or a combination of a separate layer and a single mixed layer. The electrode has improved tolerance to poisons such as CO and CO,. Patent number: US 5795669 Date: 18 August Inventors:
1998
D. Wilkinson,
H.H.
Voss, K.B. Prater,
G.A. Hards, T.R. Ralph, D. Thompsett
Electrolyte layer arrangement Applicunt: KK Toshiba, Japan The patent describes a fuel cell with several stacked cells, in each of which an electrolyte layer is held between an anode and a cathode. The electrolyte layer includes a sheet containing fine powder to hold the electrolyte, and reinforcing ceramic fibres dispersed within the sheet to encourage the electrolyte to run parallel to the sheet’s surface. Patent number: US 5795671 Date: 18 August 1998 Inventors: H. Nirasawa, T. Kawachi, T. Ogawa, K. Murata
Electrocatalytic coating for electrodes Applicant: Southwest Research Institute, USA The invention provides a low-temperature method for producing electrocatalytic coatings for fuel cell electrodes. The electrocatalytic coating comprises a thin film of diamond-like carbon doped with a finely dispersed catalytic agent, preferably platinum, platinum-ruthenium or other catalytically active materials. The method may be scaled-up as a highly economical reel-to-reel process. Patent number: US 5795672 Date: 18 August 1998 Inventor: G. Dearnaley
Interconnector
for SOFC stacks
Applicant: Forschungszentrum J&h, Germany The invention relates to an interconnector comprising an alloy body and at least one contact made of a second alloy. The technical problem of providing an interconnector in which chrome dioxide evaporation is substantially reduced, and guaranteeing sufficient electrical conductivity of the contact points between the interconnector and the electrodes, is solved by an interconnector in which the first alloy has an Al content more than 2.0% by mass and the second alloy has an Al content less than 2.0% by mass. Patent number: WO 98136464 Date: 20 August 1998 Inventors: U. Diekmann, H. Ringel
Starting-up
a cold system
Applicant: Ballard Power Systems Inc, Canada Here a method and apparatus are described for starting and operating an electric power generation system comprising a fuel cell stack for supplying electric current to an external electrical circuit. The fuel cell(s) in the stack comprise a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) with an anode, a cathode, and a water-permeable ion exchange membrane interposed between them. The fuel cell is supplied with fuel and oxidant streams. At least part of the MEA is below 0°C. The supply of electric current to the external circuit from the fuel cell stack is begun such that the temperature of the MEA exceeds the freezing temperature of water. Patent number: US 5798186 Date: 25 August 1998 Inventors: N.J. Fletcher, G.A. Boehm, E.G. Pow
Fuel Cells Bulletin
No. 1