Tunable Thin Liquid/Gas Diffusion Layers for Electrolyzers

Inactive Publication Date: 2018-07-12
UT BATTELLE LLC +1
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The patent describes a special layer used in a proton exchange membrane electrolyzer cell (PEMEC). This layer has tiny pores through which gas and liquid can diffuse. The pores have a unique shape, with a rim and a land length distance between them. The layer has a porosity ratio that determines its ability to allow diffusion. By using this special layer, the PEMEC can operate more efficiently and at higher speeds.

Problems solved by technology

However, most of these renewable sources are variable and often produce electricity intermittently (e.g., only during daylight or when windy), which present major challenges in delivering consistent power to operate today's electrical grid.
In addition, the current electrical grid has very limited ability to react to the fluctuations from renewable energy sources.
More importantly, random and complicated structures in felt / foam or particles in sintered Titanium layers make it impossible to control the water / electron / thermal distribution.
Furthermore, these structures include random pore morphologies and are difficult to model analytically as the random morphologies will differ from a static analytic model.

Method used

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  • Tunable Thin Liquid/Gas Diffusion Layers for Electrolyzers
  • Tunable Thin Liquid/Gas Diffusion Layers for Electrolyzers
  • Tunable Thin Liquid/Gas Diffusion Layers for Electrolyzers

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Embodiment Construction

[0039]With reference first to FIG. 1, a proton exchange membrane electrolyzer cell (PEMEC) 100 broadly comprises a catalyst-coated proton exchange membrane 102 sandwiched by anode 104 and cathode 106 electrodes. Each electrode 104, 106 includes a corresponding catalyst layer (CL) 108, 110, a corresponding liquid / gas diffusion layer (LGDL) 112, 114, and a corresponding bipolar plate (BP) 116, 118, which also acts as the current distributor (CD) and the flow field. After electricity is applied, water is split into molecular oxygen, protons, and electrons at the anode side.

[0040]Dioxygen, as one product on the anode CL 108, is ideally transported from the anode CL 108 through the anode LGDL 112 back to the flow field to avoid blocking the anode LGDL 112, which can hinder the reaction. Electrons, which are also generated at anode CL 108, pass through the anode LGDL 112, anode BP 116, and external circuit, and then back to the cathode side 118. Meanwhile, protons pass through the catalys...

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Abstract

A liquid / gas diffusion layer (LGDL) 112 for use in a proton exchange membrane electrolyzer cell 100 includes a planar body 120 having first and second surfaces 128, 130 that are separated by a body thickness 126. The body defines 120 a plurality of straight-through, non-interconnected, pores 122 extending through the body thickness 126, between the first and the second surfaces 128, 130. Each pore 122 has a peripheral rim shape 124, a throat area, and is separated from one another by a land length distance. The body has a porosity c that is calculated by dividing a total throat area of the plurality of pores AP by a total surface area of the surface around the pores AH, and where the porosity ratio e is between approximately 0.20 and approximately 0.80.

Description

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT[0001]This invention was made with government support under Contract No. DE-AC05-00OR22725 and DE-FE0011585 awarded by the U.S. Department of Energy. The government has certain rights in the invention.CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0002]None.THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT[0003]None.INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM (EFS-WEB)[0004]None.STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR A JOINT INVENTOR[0005]International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, Volume 41, Issue 4, 30 Jan. 2016, Pages 3128-3135, “Additive manufacturing of liquid / gas diffusion layers for low-cost and high-efficiency hydrogen production”, Jingke Mo, Ryan R. Dehoff, William H. Peter, Todd J. Toops, Johney B. Green Jr., Feng-Yuan Zhang, Received 9 Nov. 2015, Accepted 6 Dec. 2015, Available online 14 Jan. 2016. Science Advances,...

Claims

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Application Information

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IPC IPC(8): C25B11/03C25B1/10C25B9/06C25B9/17
CPCC25B11/035C25B9/066C25B1/10Y02E60/36C25B9/19C25B1/04C25B9/73C25B11/031
InventorZHANG, FENG-YUANTOOPS, TODD JEFFERSONMENCH, MATTHEW MICHAEL
OwnerUT BATTELLE LLC