Gas diffusion electrode base material product and polymer electrolyte fuel cell
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Solution Overview
Problem
The aging time of polymer electrolyte fuel cells is prolonged due to the presence of impurities and acid components, which decreases production efficiency, as indicated by the pH concentration of discharged water.
Innovation Solution
A gas diffusion electrode medium product with a sulfuric acid content of 1.1 μg/cm2 or less, utilizing a conductive porous material with a microporous layer and water-repellent resin, such as carbon paper treated with a fluoropolymer, to facilitate faster acid liquation and water discharge during the aging process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If carbon paper is immersed in water repellent resin to improve water discharge, then water repellency is improved, but sulfuric acid content increases and aging time is prolonged
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by precisely controlling the sulfuric acid content to 1.1 μg/cm² or less through optimized immersion treatment of carbon paper in water repellent resin. This parameter control resolves the contradiction by finding the optimal balance point where water repellency is sufficient for water discharge while sulfuric acid content is limited to prevent prolonged aging time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes porous materials (carbon paper with microporous structure) that inherently provide both water repellency and acid discharge pathways. The porous structure allows water to be repelled and discharged while simultaneously enabling sulfuric acid to be removed during aging, thus resolving the contradiction between water repellency and aging time.
2Productivity
If sulfuric acid content is reduced to shorten aging time, then production efficiency is improved, but water repellency may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by establishing a precise threshold (1.1 μg/cm² or less) for sulfuric acid content that simultaneously achieves both goals: shortening aging time to improve production efficiency while maintaining sufficient water repellency through optimized immersion treatment of carbon paper.
3Manufacturing precision
If aging time is prolonged to remove impurities and liquate acid, then catalyst purity is improved, but production efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-treating the carbon paper with water repellent resin immersion before fuel cell assembly. This preliminary treatment reduces the sulfuric acid content to 1.1 μg/cm² or less, so that during the actual aging process, acid removal is accelerated and catalyst purity is achieved more quickly, thereby improving production efficiency without compromising catalyst purity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes porous materials (carbon paper with microporous structure) that inherently provide both water repellency and acid discharge pathways. The porous structure allows efficient removal of sulfuric acid during aging while maintaining catalyst purity, thus resolving the contradiction between catalyst purity and production efficiency.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach significantly shortens the aging time of fuel cells by reducing the sulfuric acid content and enhancing water repellency, thereby improving production efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
carbon paper treated with a fluoropolymer
Data Source
AI summary
An object of the present invention is to shorten the aging time for a fuel cell. To achieve the object, a gas diffusion electrode medium product according to the present invention includes sulfuric acid in an amount of 1.1 μg/cm2 or less. In addition, a polymer electrolyte fuel cell according to the present invention has the gas diffusion electrode medium product according to the present invention incorporated therein.