GRADIENT-PORE STRUCTURE FUEL CELL Russian patent published in 2007 - IPC H01M8/04 

FIELD: electrical engineering; fuel cells using gradient-pore structure as membrane-electrode assembly.

SUBSTANCE: proposed fuel cell incorporating membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) has casing accommodating membrane-electrode assembly with ion-conducting electrolyte, catalytic layers abutting against electrolyte, and gas-diffusion electrode layers abutting against catalytic layers, as well as current leads abutting against gas-diffusion layers, anode and cathode gas chambers; MEA is built around monolithic three-layer gradient-pore structure whose central layer is made of nonconducting porous material with its pores filled with ion-conducting electrolyte, and MEA external gas-diffusion layers are made of electricity-conducting porous material whose pores where it contacts central layer hold catalyst. MEA central layer may be 50 to 150 μm thick at its porosity of 60 - 90% and mean pore size of 1 - 10 μm; external gas-diffused layers may be 150 - 300 μm thick at their porosity of 50 - 60 % and mean pore size of 10 - 50 μm; Pore size of MEA external gas-diffusion layers reduces toward central layer. Proton- or anion-conducting electrolyte of organic or inorganic material can be used as ion-conducting electrolyte of fuel-cell MEA. Central porous layer of the latter can be made of ceramics and/or glass and its external gas-diffusion layers, of carbon or metal.

EFFECT: enhanced output power characteristics.

7 cl, 1 dwg