Functionally integrated hydrogen fuel cell

Abstract

A proton exchange membrane fuel cell has a unit cell assembly including an anode side and a cathode side. The anode side has a cooling base plate, a conductor assembly, a hydrogen flow field, a water absorbing element, and a hydrogen duct assembly. The cathode side has an air flow field, a conductor assembly, an air flow distributor, and an insulating compression plate with wing extensions. A membrane electrode assembly is disposed between the anode side and the cathode side physically connecting the flow fields on both the anode and cathode sides. A sealed anode assembly creates a sealed hydrogen volume and includes the anode conductor assembly, the hydrogen duct assembly, and the membrane electrode assembly all disposed between the insulating compression plate and the cooling base plate. The fuel cell may comprise multiple unit cell assemblies arranged in planar, folded, stacked, or pancake configurations.

1 . A proton exchange membrane fuel cell, comprising:
 a unit cell assembly having an anode side and a cathode side;   the anode side having a cooling base plate, a conductor assembly, a flow field, a water absorbing element, and a hydrogen duct assembly;   the cathode side having a flow field, a conductor assembly, an air flow distributor, and an insulating compression plate having wing extensions; and   a membrane electrode assembly disposed between the anode side and the cathode side, the membrane electrode assembly physically connected to the flow fields on the anode and cathode sides.   
     
     
         2 . The fuel cell of  claim 1 , wherein the anode side conductor assembly, hydrogen duct assembly, flow field, water absorbing element and membrane electrode assembly are disposed within a sealed anode assembly. 
     
     
         3 . The fuel cell of  claim 2 , wherein the sealed anode assembly comprises the anode conductor assembly, hydrogen duct assembly, and membrane electrode assembly disposed between the insulating compression plate and the cooling base plate. 
     
     
         4 . The fuel cell of  claim 3 , wherein the sealed anode assembly is sealed by pressure sensitive adhesive layers or heat welding to create a sealed hydrogen volume. 
     
     
         5 . The fuel cell of  claim 1 , wherein the hydrogen duct assembly comprises adjacent sheets of insulating film spaced apart by strips of insulating film heat welded along the length of the hydrogen duct assembly to form a sealed channel with openings at each end of the assembly. 
     
     
         6 . The fuel cell of  claim 5 , further comprising sheets of pressure sensitive adhesive adhered to opposite sides of the hydrogen duct assembly, and an aperture through the hydrogen duct assembly. 
     
     
         7 . The fuel cell of  claim 1 , wherein the conductor assemblies each comprise upper and lower pressure sensitive adhesive sheets surrounding a conductor, and upper and lower insulating film sheets. 
     
     
         8 . The fuel cell of  claim 7 , wherein each conductor assembly further comprises two windows cut into the upper insulating film and the upper pressure sensitive adhesive to expose an anode conductor and a cathode conductor. 
     
     
         9 . The fuel cell of  claim 8 , wherein the anode and cathode conductors are coated with a non-oxidizing metal or a conductive polymer. 
     
     
         10 . The fuel cell of  claim 8 , wherein the cathode conductor is perforated with spaced apertures through the conductor, the lower pressure sensitive adhesive and the lower insulator. 
     
     
         11 . The fuel cell of  claim 1 , wherein the membrane electrode assembly comprises a proton exchange membrane lined with anode and cathode electrodes. 
     
     
         12 . The fuel cell of  claim 1 , wherein the cathode side air flow distributor comprises a stainless steel screen. 
     
     
         13 . The fuel cell of  claim 1 , wherein the cooling base plate has cooling fins. 
     
     
         14 . A proton exchange membrane fuel cell, comprising:
 a unit cell assembly having an anode side and a cathode side;   the anode side having a cooling base plate, a conductor assembly, a flow field, a water absorbing element, and a hydrogen duct assembly, wherein the hydrogen duct assembly comprises adjacent sheets of insulating film spaced apart by strips of insulating film heat welded along the length of the hydrogen duct assembly to form a sealed channel with openings at each end of the assembly;   the cathode side having a flow field, a conductor assembly, an air flow distributor, and an insulating compression plate having wing extensions;   a membrane electrode assembly disposed between the anode side and the cathode side, the membrane electrode assembly physically connected to the flow fields on the anode and cathode sides; and   a sealed anode assembly enclosing the anode side conductor assembly, the anode side hydrogen duct assembly, the anode flow field, the water absorbing element and the membrane electrode assembly.   
     
     
         15 . The fuel cell of  claim 14 , wherein each conductor assembly comprises upper and lower pressure sensitive adhesive sheets surrounding a conductor, upper and lower insulating film sheets, and two windows cut into the upper insulating film and the upper pressure sensitive adhesive to expose an anode conductor and a cathode conductor. 
     
     
         16 . The fuel cell of  claim 14 , wherein the membrane electrode assembly comprises a proton exchange membrane lined with anode and cathode electrodes. 
     
     
         17 . The fuel cell of  claim 14 , wherein the sealed anode assembly comprises the anode conductor assembly, hydrogen duct assembly, and membrane electrode assembly disposed between the insulating compression plate and the cooling base plate. 
     
     
         18 . The fuel cell of  claim 17 , wherein the sealed anode assembly is sealed by pressure sensitive adhesive layers or heat welding to create a sealed hydrogen volume. 
     
     
         19 . The fuel cell of  claim 14 , wherein the cathode side air flow distributor comprises a stainless steel screen. 
     
     
         20 . The fuel cell of  claim 14 , wherein the cooling base plate has cooling fins.