Electrochemical cell apparatus

1. An electrochemical cell apparatus comprising:

a membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) comprising a membrane having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, a first electrode in contact with the first side, and a second electrode in contact with the second side;

a flow field member disposed adjacent to the first electrode opposite the membrane; and

a protector member disposed between the flow field member and the first side of the membrane, the protector member having a boundary partially defined by a first surface facing toward a center of the MEA;

wherein the second electrode has a boundary partially defined by a second surface facing away from the center of the MEA, the second surface disposed between the center of the MEA and the first surface;

wherein a first distance from the center of the MEA to the first surface is greater than a correspondingly oriented second distance from the center of the MEA to the second surface, thereby defining a gap between the first surface and the second surface and causing a current density within the first electrode to be less than a comparable current density in the absence of the gap;

wherein the first electrode has a boundary partially defined by a third surface facing away from the center of the MEA, the third surface disposed between the center of the MEA and an outer edge of the membrane, the third surface disposed at a third distance from the center of the MEA; and

wherein the second distance is less than the correspondingly oriented third distance, resulting in a reduced occurrence of dendritic growths from the first electrode toward the second electrode compared with a non-reduced occurrence of dendritic growths from the first electrode toward the second electrode with the second distance equal to the correspondingly oriented third distance.

2. An electrochemical cell apparatus comprising:

a membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) comprising a membrane having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, a first electrode in contact with the first side, and a second electrode in contact with the second side;

a flow field member disposed adjacent to the first electrode opposite the membrane; and,

a protector member disposed between the flow field member and the first side of the membrane, the protector member having a boundary partially defined by a first surface facing toward a center of the MEA;

wherein the second electrode has a boundary partially defined by a second surface facing away from the center of the MEA, the second surface disposed between the center of the MEA and the first surface;

wherein a first distance from the center of the MEA to the first surface is greater than a correspondingly oriented second distance from the center of the MEA to the second surface, thereby defining a gap between the first surface and the second surface and causing a current density within the first electrode to be less than a comparable current density in the absence of the gap;

wherein the flow field member is a first flow field member, the apparatus further comprising:

a second flow field member disposed adjacent to the second electrode opposite the membrane, the second flow field member having a first portion defined at least in part by a boundary thereof that is at a distance less than or equal to the correspondingly oriented second distance from the center of the MEA, and a second portion defined as being between the first portion and an outer edge of the second flow field member;

an electrical insulator disposed upon at least a portion of at least one of:

the second portion of the second flow field member; and,

the second side of the membrane at a distance greater than the correspondingly oriented second distance;

wherein the protector member is a first protector member, the apparatus further comprising:

a second protector member disposed between the second flow field member and the second side of the membrane, the second protector member having a boundary partially defined by a protector surface facing toward the center of the MEA;

wherein the protector surface is disposed at a protector distance from the center of the MEA;

the second protector member is the electrical insulator; and

the protector distance is about equal to the correspondingly oriented second distance.

3. An electrochemical cell apparatus comprising:

a membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) comprising a membrane having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, a first electrode in contact with the first side, and a second electrode in contact with the second side;

a flow field member disposed adjacent to the first electrode opposite the membrane; and,

a protector member disposed between the flow field member and the first side of the membrane, the protector member having a boundary partially defined by a first surface facing toward a center of the MEA;

wherein the second electrode has a boundary partially defined by a second surface facing away from the center of the MEA, the second surface disposed between the center of the MEA and the first surface;

wherein a first distance from the center of the MEA to the first surface is greater than a correspondingly oriented second distance from the center of the MEA to the second surface, thereby defining a gap between the first surface and the second surface and causing a current density within the first electrode to be less than a comparable current density in the absence of the gap;

wherein the flow field member is a first flow field member, the apparatus further comprising:

a second flow field member disposed adjacent to the second electrode opposite the membrane, the second flow field member having a first portion defined at least in part by a boundary thereof that is at a distance less than or equal to the correspondingly oriented second distance from the center of the MEA, and a second portion defined as being between the first portion and an outer edge of the second flow field member;

an electrical insulator disposed upon at least a portion of at least one of:

the second portion of the second flow field member; and,

the second side of the membrane at a distance greater than the correspondingly oriented second distance;

wherein the protector member is a first protector member, the apparatus further comprising:

a second protector member disposed between the second flow field member and the second side of the membrane, the second protector member having a boundary partially defined by a protector surface facing toward the center of the MEA;

wherein the protector surface is disposed at a protector distance from the center of the MEA;

the second protector member is the electrical insulator; and

the protector distance is less than the correspondingly oriented second distance.

4. An electrochemical cell apparatus comprising:

a membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) comprising a membrane having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, a first electrode in contact with the first side, and a second electrode in contact with the second side;

a flow field member disposed adjacent to the first electrode opposite the membrane; and

a protector member disposed between the flow field member and the first side of the membrane, the protector member having a boundary partially defined by a first surface facing toward a center of the MEA;

wherein the second electrode has a boundary partially defined by a second surface facing away from the center of the MEA, the second surface disposed between the center of the MEA and the first surface;

wherein a first distance from the center of the MEA to the first surface is greater than a correspondingly oriented second distance from the center of the MEA to the second surface, thereby defining a gap between the first surface and the second surface and causing a current density within the first electrode to be less than a comparable current density in the absence of the gap;

wherein the flow field member is a first flow field member, the apparatus further comprising:

a second flow field member disposed adjacent to the second electrode opposite the membrane, the second flow field member having a first portion defined at least in part by a boundary thereof that is at a distance less than or equal to the correspondingly oriented second distance from the center of the MEA, and a second portion defined as being between the first portion and an outer edge of the second flow field member;

an electrical insulator disposed upon at least a portion of at least one of:

the second portion of the second flow field member; and

the second side of the membrane at a distance greater than the correspondingly oriented second distance;

wherein the protector member is a first protector member, the apparatus further comprising:

a second protector member disposed between the second flow field member and the second side of the membrane, the second protector member having a boundary partially defined by a protector surface facing toward the center of the MEA;

wherein the protector surface is disposed at a protector distance from the center of the MEA;

the first electrode has an outer boundary partially defined by a third surface facing away from the center of the MEA, the third surface disposed between the center of the MEA and an outer edge of the membrane;

a third distance from the center of the MEA to the third surface is less than the correspondingly oriented protector distance; and,

the second distance is less than the correspondingly oriented third distance, resulting in a reduced occurrence of dendritic growths from the first electrode toward the second electrode compared with a non-reduced occurrence of dendritic growths from the first electrode toward the second electrode with the second distance equal to or greater than the correspondingly oriented third distance.