Claims
- 1. A Proton exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell Membrane Electrode Assembly (MEA) apparatus comprising:
a conductive planar substrate having a front surface and an opposing back surface, the conductive planar substrate also having a porous region; catalyst material affixed to at least said back surface of said porous region; proton exchange material affixed to said front surface of said conductive planar substrate, the proton exchange material having an anode surface and an opposing cathode surface; an anode conductor coupled with said anode surface of said proton exchange material; a thick film gas diffusion electrode affixed to said anode conductor; and a cathode conductor coplanar with said anode conductor and electrically coupled to the conductive substrate through an opening in the proton exchange material.
- 2. An MEA according to claim 1 further comprising a layered stack of catalyst and palladium disposed between said front surface of said porous region of said planar substrate and said proton exchange material.
- 3. An MEA according to claim 1 further comprising a transition layer disposed between said proton exchange material and said anode conductor for improving catalysis of fuel.
- 4. An MEA according to claim 1 further comprising a water barrier adjacent to said back surface catalyst material.
- 5. An MEA according to claim 1 wherein said proton exchange material is less than approximately 30 microns thick.
- 7. An MEA according to claim 1 wherein said proton exchange material is less than approximately 5 microns thick.
- 8. An MEA according to claim 1 wherein said proton exchange material is less than approximately 1 micron thick.
- 9. An MEA according to claim 1 wherein said proton exchange material comprises a perfluorocarbon copolymer proton-conducting material.
- 10. An MEA according to claim 1 wherein said proton exchange material comprises a perfluorosulfonic acid polymer.
- 11. An MEA according to claim 1 wherein said catalyst material comprises one or more metals chosen from the group consisting of platinum, iridium, palladium, ruthenium, rhodium, molybdenum, gold, and nickel.
- 12. An MEA according to claim 1 wherein said catalyst material comprises platinum.
- 13. An MEA according to claim 1 wherein said catalyst material comprises an alloy of platinum and ruthenium.
- 14. An MBA according to claim 1 wherein said substrate comprises silicon.
- 15. An MBA according to claim 1 wherein said substrate comprises a conductive silicon layer on sapphire.
- 16. An MEA according to claim 1 wherein said substrate comprises one or more semiconductor compound selected from the group known as the III-V family.
- 17. An MEA according to claim 1 further comprising a fuel cell body operably connected to said MEA portion.
- 18. An MEA according to claim 1 further comprising an electronic circuit portion of said substrate and operably coupled to said anode conductor and said cathode conductor.
- 19. An MEA according to claim 18 wherein said electronic circuit is integral with said membrane electrode assembly.
- 20. An integrated circuit based fuel cell apparatus comprising:
a Proton exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell Membrane Electrode Assembly (MEA); and an integrated circuit operably coupled to said membrane electrode assembly.
- 21. An integrated circuit based fuel cell apparatus according to claim 20 wherein said integrated circuit comprises a fuel cell control circuit.
- 22. An integrated circuit based fuel cell apparatus according to claim 20 wherein said integrated circuit comprises a driven device.
- 23. An integrated circuit based fuel cell apparatus according to claim 20 further comprising a fuel cell body operably connected to said MEA.
- 24. An integrated circuit based fuel cell apparatus according to claim 20 further comprising a planar substrate.
- 25. An integrated circuit based fuel cell apparatus according to claim 24 wherein said MEA further comprises a porous region of said planar substrate.
- 26. An integrated circuit based fuel cell apparatus according to claim 24 wherein said planar substrate comprises silicon.
- 27. An integrated circuit based fuel cell apparatus according to claim 24 wherein said planar substrate comprises a conductive silicon layer on sapphire.
- 28. An integrated circuit based fuel cell apparatus according to claim 24 wherein said substrate comprises one or more semiconductor compound selected from the group known as the III-V family.
- 29. An integrated circuit based fuel cell apparatus according to claim 20 wherein said proton exchange material comprises a perfluorocarbon copolymer proton-conducting material.
- 30. An integrated circuit based fuel cell apparatus according to claim 20 wherein said proton exchange material comprises a perfluorosulfonic acid polymer.
- 31. An integrated circuit based fuel cell apparatus according to claim 20 wherein said proton exchange material is less than approximately 30 microns thick.
- 32. An integrated circuit based fuel cell apparatus according to claim 20 wherein said proton exchange material is less than approximately 5 microns thick.
- 33. An integrated circuit based fuel cell apparatus according to claim 20 wherein said proton exchange material is less than approximately 1 micron thick.
- 34. An integrated circuit based fuel cell apparatus according to claim 20 wherein said MEA further comprises a catalyst comprising one or more metals selected from the group platinum, iridium, palladium, ruthenium, rhodium, molybdenum, gold, and nickel.
- 35. An integrated circuit based fuel cell apparatus according to claim 20 wherein said MEA further comprises a catalyst further comprising platinum.
- 36. An integrated circuit based fuel cell apparatus according to claim 20 wherein said MEA further comprises a catalyst further comprising an alloy of platinum and ruthenium.
- 37. An integrated circuit comprising:
a substrate having a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell Membrane Electrode Assembly (MEA) portion further comprising: a porous region of said planar substrate having a front surface and an opposing back surface; catalyst material affixed to said back surface and sidewalls of said porous region; proton exchange material affixed to said front surface of planar substrate, the proton exchange material having an anode surface and an opposing cathode surface; an anode conductor coupled with said anode surface of said proton exchange material; a gas-diffusion electrode affixed to said anode conductor; a cathode conductor electrically coupled with said conductive portion of substrate wherein said cathode conductor is coplanar in relation to said anode conductor; and said substrate also having an integrated circuit portion operably coupled to said MEA portion.
- 38. An integrated circuit according to claim 37 wherein said integrated circuit portion comprises a fuel cell control circuit.
- 39. An integrated circuit according to claim 37 wherein said integrated circuit portion comprises a driven device.
- 40. An integrated circuit according to claim 37 further comprising a fuel cell body operably connected to said MEA portion.
- 41. An integrated circuit according to claim 37 wherein said planar substrate comprises silicon.
- 42. An integrated circuit according to claim 37 wherein said planar substrate comprises silicon and sapphire.
- 43. An integrated circuit according to claim 37 wherein said substrate comprises one or more semiconductor compound selected from the group known as the III-V family.
- 44. An integrated circuit according to claim 37 wherein said proton exchange material comprises a perfluorocarbon copolymer proton-conducting material.
- 45. An integrated circuit according to claim 37 wherein said proton exchange material comprises a perfluorosulfonic acid polymer.
- 46. An integrated circuit according to claim 37 wherein said proton exchange material is less than approximately 30 mils thick.
- 47. An integrated circuit according to claim 37 wherein said proton exchange material is less than approximately 5 mils thick.
- 48. An integrated circuit according to claim 37 wherein said proton exchange material is less than approximately 1 mil thick.
- 49. An integrated circuit according to claim 37 wherein said catalyst comprises one or more metals selected from the group platinum, iridium, palladium, gold, and nickel.
- 50. An integrated circuit according to claim 37 wherein said catalyst comprises platinum.
- 51. An integrated circuit according to claim 37 wherein said catalyst comprises an alloy of platinum and ruthenium.
- 52. An integrated circuit according to claim 37 further comprising a layered stack of catalyst and palladium disposed between said front surface of said porous region of said planar substrate and said proton exchange material.
- 53. An integrated circuit according to claim 37 further comprising a transition layer disposed between said proton exchange material and said anode conductor for lowering lateral electrical resistance.
- 54. An integrated circuit according to claim 37 further comprising a water barrier adjacent to said back surface catalyst material.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part application claiming priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/821,505, filed Mar. 30, 2001, and entitled “Planar Substrate-Based Fuel Cell Membrane Electrode Assembly and Integrated Circuitry”.
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09821505 |
Mar 2001 |
US |
Child |
10884144 |
Jun 2004 |
US |