Granted Patent B2

US 6,939,636 · App. 10/425,822 · Granted Sep 6, 2005

Abstract

Claims (9)

1. An air cooled fuel cell module comprising:

an ion exchange membrane having opposite anode and cathode sides;

an electrode borne by each of the anode and cathode sides;

a current collector disposed in ohmic electrical contact with each of the anode and cathode sides, and wherein the cathode current collector is fabricated from an air-permeable metal foam having an open-celled microstructure, and which further acts as a heat sink to remove a portion of the heat energy generated by the fuel cell module during operation;

an anode heat sink which is fabricated from an air-permeable metal foam, and which is disposed in heat removing relation relative to the anode side of the ion exchange membrane; and

an air flow supplied to the fuel cell module, and which includes a first component which passes, at least in part, through the air-permeable metal foam current collector disposed in ohmic electrical contact with the cathode side of the ion exchange membrane, and a second component which passes, at least in part, over the anode heat sink, and wherein the first and second components, in combination, dissipate a preponderance of the heat energy generated during operation of the fuel cell.

2. An ion exchange membrane fuel cell, comprising:

multiple modules each enclosing a membrane electrode diffusion assembly having an anode, and a cathode side, and wherein each module produces heat energy during operation; and

an anode heat sink fabricated, at least in part, from an air-permeable metal foam, and which is positioned in heat removing relation relative to the anode side of the ion exchange membrane, and wherein each module has a bifurcated air flow which regulates the operational temperature of each module by removing the heat energy from the module, and wherein the bifurcated air flow passes, at least in part, over the anode heat sink.

Assignments (11)