Micro-expanded porous transport layers for use in anode pack assembly and proton exchange membrane (pem) electrolyzers

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to an anode porous transport layer (PTL) ( 10 ), an anode transport layer assembly ( 14 ), an anode pack assembly ( 16 ), and a proton exchange membrane electrolyzer device ( 18 ) comprising two or more micro-expanded metal mesh layers ( 12 ), wherein each micro-expanded metal mesh layer ( 12 ) has a pore size ranging from about 3 μm to about 60 μm and an open area ranging from about 10% to about 60%.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An anode porous transport layer, comprising:
 two or more micro-expanded metal mesh layers, wherein each micro-expanded metal mesh layer has a pore size ranging from about 3 μm to about 60 μm and an open area ranging from about 10% to about 60%.   
     
     
         2 . The porous transport layer according to  claim 1 , wherein the micro-expanded metal mesh layers comprise three to five layers. 
     
     
         3 . The porous transport layer according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the two or more micro-expanded metal mesh layers has the same pore size or different pore size. 
     
     
         4 . The porous transport layer according to  claim 2 , wherein the micro-expanded metal mesh layers comprise three layers and each of the three micro-expanded metal mesh layers has a different pore size ranging from about 3 μm to about 60 μm. 
     
     
         5 . The porous transport layer according to  claim 4 , wherein the first micro-expanded metal mesh layer has a 12.5 μm thickness with 10 μm pores, the second micro-expanded metal mesh layer has a 25 μm thickness with 20 μm pores, and the third micro-expanded metal mesh layer has a 60 μm thickness with 45 μm pores. 
     
     
         6 . The porous transport layer according to  claim 1 , wherein the two or more micro-expanded metal mesh layers have an open area greater than or equal to 20% to about 60%. 
     
     
         7 . The porous transport layer according to  claim 1 , wherein each micro-expanded metal mesh layer has a thickness ranging from about 5 μm to about 100 μm. 
     
     
         8 . The porous transport layer according to  claim 7 , wherein each of the two or more micro-expanded metal mesh layers has the same thickness or different thickness. 
     
     
         9 . The porous transport layer according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the two or more micro-expanded metal mesh layers has a tortuosity ranging from 1 to about 2.3. 
     
     
         10 . The porous transport layer according to  claim 1 , wherein the surface roughness of the surface of the micro-expanded mesh in contact with the proton exchange membrane is within the range of 25 to 100 nm. 
     
     
         11 . The porous transport layer according to  claim 1 , wherein adjacent micro-expanded mesh layers are oriented 90° to one another. 
     
     
         12 . An anode transport layer assembly for use in a PEM electrolyzer device comprising:
 a multilayer anode flow field; and   an anode porous transport layer comprising two or more micro-expanded metal mesh layers, wherein each micro-expanded metal mesh layer has a pore size ranging from about 3 μm to about 30 μm and an open area ranging from about 10% to about 60%.   
     
     
         13 . The anode transport layer assembly according to  claim 12 , wherein each of the two or more micro-expanded metal mesh layers has the same pore size or different pore size. 
     
     
         14 . The anode transport layer assembly according to  claim 13 , wherein the micro-expanded metal mesh layers comprise three layers, and wherein the first micro-expanded metal mesh layer has a 12.5 μm thickness with 10 μm pores, the second micro-expanded metal mesh layer has a 25 μm thickness with 20 μm pores, and the third micro-expanded metal mesh layer has a 60 μm thickness with 45 μm pores. 
     
     
         15 . The anode transport layer assembly according to  claim 12 , wherein each of the two or more micro-expanded metal mesh layers has a tortuosity ranging from 1 to about 2.3. 
     
     
         16 . The anode transport layer assembly according to  claim 12 , wherein the surface roughness of the surface of the micro-expanded mesh in contact with the proton exchange membrane is within the range of 25 to 100 nm. 
     
     
         17 . The anode transport layer assembly according to  claim 12 , wherein adjacent micro-expanded mesh layers are oriented 90° to one another. 
     
     
         18 . An anode pack assembly for use in a PEM electrolyzer device comprising:
 a bipolar plate;   an anode flow field; and   an anode porous transport layer comprising two or more micro-expanded metal mesh layers, wherein each micro-expanded metal mesh layer has a pore size ranging from about 3 μm to about 30 μm and an open area ranging from about 10% to about 60%.   
     
     
         19 . The anode pack assembly according to  claim 18 , wherein the micro-expanded metal mesh layers comprise three to five layers. 
     
     
         20 . The anode pack assembly according to  claim 18 , wherein each of the two or more micro-expanded metal mesh layers has the same pore size. 
     
     
         21 . The anode pack assembly according to  claim 18 , wherein each of the two or more micro-expanded metal mesh layers have a different pore size. 
     
     
         22 . The anode pack assembly according to  claim 21 , wherein the micro-expanded metal mesh layers comprise three layers, and wherein the first micro-expanded metal mesh layer has a 12.5 μm thickness with 10 μm pores, the second micro-expanded metal mesh layer has a 25 μm thickness with 20 μm pores, and the third micro-expanded metal mesh layer has a 60 μm thickness with 45 μm pores. 
     
     
         23 . The anode pack assembly according to  claim 18 , wherein each of the two or more micro-expanded metal mesh layers has a tortuosity ranging from 1 to about 2.3. 
     
     
         24 . The anode pack assembly according to  claim 18 , wherein the surface roughness of the surface of the micro-expanded mesh in contact with the proton exchange membrane is within the range of 25 to 100 nm. 
     
     
         25 . The anode pack assembly according to  claim 18 , wherein adjacent micro-expanded mesh layers are oriented 90° to one another.