Fuel Cell and Fuel Cell Stack

Simple SummaryContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

This invention describes a fuel cell (especially a hydrogen fuel cell) that incorporates a membrane electrode assembly and a specially designed auxiliary layer on the cathode side. The auxiliary layer has multiple elongated ventilation holes arranged in rows, with specific ratios between length, width, and spacing of these holes. This design optimizes the supply of oxygen, removal of water and heat, while protecting the electrolyte membrane from drying out, even at high performance and temperature. The layout can be adjusted for different operational needs and is suitable for portable devices and fuel cell stacks.

Use CasesContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Portable electronic devices such as smartphones, laptops, and autonomous chargers powered by fuel cells.
• Power sources for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and other aircraft requiring lightweight, efficient energy systems.
• Integration into compact, lightweight fuel cell stacks for use in consumer electronics or transportation.
• Energy supply for remote or mobile applications where reliability and low maintenance are important.
• Scalable energy solutions in environments with varying temperature and humidity, where robust membrane hydration is crucial.

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Enhanced membrane hydration and protection against drying out, improving fuel cell longevity and reliability even under high-output or high-temperature use.
• Enables high power density and efficiency without the need for complicated active humidification or ventilation systems, leading to lower cost, weight, and complexity.
• Customizable arrangement of ventilation holes allows the fuel cell design to be optimized for specific operational modes, performance requirements, and environmental conditions.
• Reduces the risk of local membrane flooding or drying, ensuring uniform current density and stable operation across the fuel cell.
• Simpler, cost-effective manufacturing through the use of elongated ventilation holes (which are easier to produce at scale), lowering the barrier to mass production.

Technical Classifications (CPCs)

Inventors & Applicants

Patent Abstract

The invention relates to a fuel cell (1), comprising a membrane electrode assembly (2) and an auxiliary layer (8), which is arranged on a cathode side of the membrane electrode assembly (2) and which has a plurality of elongated ventilation holes (9) for ventilating the membrane electrode assembly (2), wherein the ventilation holes are arranged in a plurality of rows (20) lying next to each other and oriented along the rows (20), wherein a length (b) of each of said ventilation holes (9) is at least three times as large as a width (w) of the ventilation hole (9), wherein within each of the rows (20) there is a distance (y) between each pair of adjacent ventilation holes (9) of the row (20) that is at most a third of the length (b) of each of said two ventilation holes (20), wherein a row distance (x) between each pair of adjacent rows (20) is at least three times as large as each of said distances (y) between adjacent ventilation holes (9) of said two rows (20) and at least three times as large as the widths (w) of the ventilation holes of said two rows (20).