FLEXIBLE FUEL CELL

Abstract

The present invention is a flexible fuel cell, which overcomes the shortcomings of a conventional fuel cell made of solid materials. The flexible fuel cell includes a battery pack of fuel cell units with a preset amount and configuration of fuel cell units, and a flexible locator. The flexible locator is made of flexible materials to ensure the ability to maintain gas-tight seals. Because of the ability to maintain good gas-tight seals and to have stronger resistance to heat and corrosion, the fuel cell of the present invention offers advantages of light weight, gas-tight sealing, and shock resistance.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the application of the flexible fuel cell on a portable power supply device.

FIG. 2 shows an exploded perspective view of the flexible fuel cell of the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows a partial perspective view of the flexible fuel cell of the present invention.

FIG. 4 shows a sectional view of the flexible fuel cell of the present invention.

FIG. 5 shows another sectional view of the flexible fuel cell of the present invention.

FIG. 6 shows an exploded perspective view of the fuel cell unit of the present invention.

FIG. 7 shows an exploded sectional view of the fuel cell unit of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 4, the preferred embodiments of the present invention are presented. These figures are provided only for explanatory purposes because the scope of the invention is set by the claims. The flexible fuel cell of the present invention is integrated with a portable power supply device.

A portable power supply device 10 is comprised of a sealed surface layer 11, a fuel supplier 12, a control switch 13 and a power transmission unit 14. The sealed surface layer 11 is made of water-proof non-woven fabric, which ensures user-friendly operation. The fuel supplier 12 can be a metal hydride tank. The power transmission unit 14 is either an AC or DC socket for charging of 3C electronics (e.g. mobile phones, PDAs, PCs and digital cameras, etc).

A battery pack 20 is formed by a specific amount and configuration of fuel cell units 21, wherein fifteen 4 cm² batteries are connected in series to achieve a 5V voltage output. Average operating voltage of a battery is about 0.3V-0.4V, having a constant current of 4 A, and achieving 20 W output power. Each fuel cell unit 21 comprises polar plates 22 and, 23 and a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) 24, of which the polar plate is provided with a flow field 25 and electrode 26, and the MEA 24 contains a proton exchange membrane, catalyst and diffusion layer.

A flexible locator 30 is used to cover and position each fuel cell unit 21. The flexible locator 30 is made of flexible materials, thus presenting satisfactory characteristics, such as flexibility and elasticity (as illustrated in FIG. 4). In practice, the flexible materials are a good choice because of outstanding ability to maintain gas-tight seals and to have strong resistance to heat and corrosion. The flexible locator 30 is internally provided with chambers 301 for creating gas flow field 302 between fuel cell units 21. The flexible locator 30 of the present invention comprises a top base 31, a bottom base 32, and a central base 33. The top and bottom bases 31 and, 32 form an enclosed and recessed space 34. The central base 33 is placed into the recessed space 34, such that chamber 301 are formed therein to accommodate fuel cell units 21. The gas flow field 302 is shaped from a gap between each fuel cell unit 21 and the spacing between fuel cell units 21 and the central base 33. A hydrogen inlet 35 is mounted onto one side of top base 31 and connected to fuel supplier 12, such that hydrogen is guided into the gas flow field 302 of the recessed space 34. Based upon the design of flexible locator 30, the present invention allows proper bending (as shown by arrow L in FIG. 5), but has no influence upon normal operation of fuel cell unit 21 and gas-tight seals of the flow fields 302.

The damp diffusion holes 36 are mounted onto flexible locator 30 opposite to fuel cell units 21, such that residual moisture is removed through the reaction of oxygen and hydrogen (as shown by arrow W in FIG. 4).

Referring to FIGS. 6, and 7, the polar plates 22 and, 23 of each fuel cell unit 21 is made of plastic (e.g. ABS), and a conductive layer 27 (e.g. nickel plating) is electroless plated onto the surface of each polar plate with a plastic flow field 25. In this case, no deformation will occur at room temperature, and heat emission is slower than metal, thus reducing the weight and heat loss. Meanwhile, each polar plate has good conductivity since the electroless plated plastic flow field 25 has a better conductivity than graphite.

Claims

1. A flexible fuel cell structure comprising: a battery pack composed of a plurality of fuel cell units, said battery pack having a preset amount of fuel cell units and configuration, each fuel cell unit being composed of a polar plate and membrane electrode assembly, said polar plate having a flow field and electrode;a flexible locator covering and positioning each fuel cell unit of said battery pack, said flexible locator being composed of flexible materials and being internally provided with a chamber and gas flow field; anda sealed surface layer mounted externally onto said flexible locator.

2. The structure defined in claim 1, further comprising: a plurality of damp diffusion holes mounted onto said flexible locator opposite to each fuel cell unit of said battery pack.

3. The structure defined in claim 1, wherein said polar plate of each fuel cell unit is composed of plastic materials, said polar plate having a conductive metallic layer electroless plated onto a surface thereof.

4. The structure defined in claim 1, wherein said flexible locator comprises a top base, a bottom base and a central base, said top base and said bottom base forming a recessed space, said central base being placed into said recessed space and forming chambers in said flexible locator, said plurality of fuel cell units being accommodated in said chambers, said top base having a hydrogen inlet mounted on one side thereof, said hydrogen inlet being connected to a fuel supplier, said recessed space having hydrogen guided thereinto from said hydrogen inlet.

5. A portable power supply device with a flexible fuel cell, the device comprising: a fuel source having a sealed surface layer, a fuel supplier, a control switch and a power transmission unit; anda battery pack composed of plurality of fuel cell units, said battery pack having a preset amount of fuel cell units and configuration of fuel cell units, each fuel cell unit being composed of a polar plate and membrane electrode assembly, said polar plate having a flow field and electrode; anda flexible locator covering and positioning each fuel cell unit, said flexible locator being composed of flexible materials and being internally provided with a chamber and gas flow field.

6. The structure defined in claim 5, further comprising: a plurality of damp diffusion holes mounted onto said flexible locator opposite to each fuel cell unit of said battery pack.

7. The structure defined in claim 5, wherein said polar plate of each fuel cell unit is composed of plastic materials, said polar plate having a conductive metallic layer electroless plated onto a surface thereof.

8. The structure defined in claim 5, wherein said flexible locator comprises a top base, a bottom base and a central base, said top base and said bottom base forming a recessed space, said central base being placed into said recessed space and forming chambers in said flexible locator, said plurality of fuel cell units being accommodated in said chambers, said top base having a hydrogen inlet mounted on one side thereof, said hydrogen inlet being connected to a fuel supplier, said recessed space having hydrogen guided thereinto from said hydrogen inlet.