Fuel-Cell Membrane-Subgasket Assemblies Comprising Coated Subgaskets, And Fuel-Cell Assemblies And Fuel-Cell Stacks Comprising The Fuel-Cell Membrane Subgasket Assemblies

• Main Authors: BHARGAVA SUMEET, LEISTRA JAMES, FLY GERALD W, DADHEECH GAYATRI VYAS
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 13.03.2014
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; ELECTRICITY; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSIONOF CHEMICAL INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY; REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGYGENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINSTCLIMATE CHANGE

Fuel-cell membrane-subgasket assemblies may include an electrolyte membrane and a coated subgasket overlying the electrolyte membrane around a perimeter of the electrolyte membrane so as to define an active area inside the perimeter. The coated subgasket may comprise a subgasket body formed from a subgasket material. At least one side of the coated subgasket includes a subgasket coating layer containing or formed from a coating material such as metals, ceramics, polymers, polymer composites, or other hard coatings. Fuel-cell assemblies may include gas diffusion media, a bipolar plate, and a fuel-cell membrane-subgasket assembly having a coated subgasket. Fuel-cell stacks may include clamping plates, unipolar endplates, and a plurality of individual fuel-cell assemblies, at least one of which includes a fuel-cell membrane-subgasket assembly having a coated subgasket.