Abstract: A system and method for recovering and separating water vapor and electrolyte vapor from an exhaust stream (22) of a fuel cell uses a membrane tube (72) comprising membrane (74) having an outer wall (76) and an inner wall (78), wherein exhaust stream (22) is directed to contact outer wall (76), electrolyte vapor is condensed on outer wall (76), and water vapor is condensed inside the membrane (74), the condensed water drawn from the membrane (74) to inner wall (78), leaving behind condensed electrolyte (88) on outer wall (76).

Abstract: A fuel cell proton exchange membrane electrolyte is formed of a first layer (6) having its stronger tensile strength oriented in one direction, laminated to a second layer (7) having its stronger tensile strength oriented perpendicular to the stronger direction of the first layer.

Abstract: An example method of operating a fuel cell system includes calculating the rate of water produced in the fuel cell stack, determining the rate of water exiting the system, and controlling the condenser temperature to maintain the cathode gas exit temperature from the condenser below the temperature required to maintain water balance in the fuel cell system. The method collects the condensed vapor as water and purges a portion of the collected water containing contaminants from the system.

Abstract: A fuel cell (70) having an anode (72), a cathode (78) and an electrolyte (76) between the anode (72) and the cathode (78) includes a cathode catalyst (80) formed of a plurality of nanoparticles. Each nanoparticle (20) has a plurality of terraces (26) formed of platinum surface atoms (14), and a plurality of edge (28) and corner regions (29) formed of atoms from a second metal (30)—The cathode catalyst may be formed by combining a platinum nanoparticle with a metal salt in a solution. Ions from the second metal react with platinum and replace platinum atoms on the nanoparticle. The second metal atoms at the corner and edge regions of the nanoparticle, as well as at any surface defects, result in a more stable catalyst structure. In some embodiments, the fuel cell (70) is a proton exchange membrane fuel cell and the nanoparticles are tetrahedron-shaped. In some embodiments, the fuel cell (70) is a phosphoric acid fuel cell and the nanoparticles are cubic-shaped.

Abstract: An exemplary method of applying a seal to a fuel cell component includes providing a release layer on one side of a seal. The release layer has reinforcing fibers. Another side of the seal is placed against a selected portion of the fuel cell component. The seal, release layer and fuel cell component are heated. The release layer is then removed after the seal is secured to the fuel cell component.

Abstract: An example fuel cell device includes an electrode assembly having two gas diffusion layers (GDLs). One GDL is adjacent to the anode electrode and the other GDL is adjacent to the cathode electrode. Seals on the periphery of the GDLs are configured to block reactant gases from direct mixing within the GDLs. Sealing the perimeter of the GDLs blocks liquid-water flow from exiting the gas diffusion layer. The disclosed example provides an opening in the seal near a fluid exit area of the fuel cell that provides a path for communicating water from the active area through a perimeter portion of the GDL. An example method of managing fluid in a fuel cell includes providing an opening in a perimeter seal of a GDL of the fuel cell. The method communicates a fluid through a channel in the plate and moves water through the opening using the fluid.

Abstract: A method of heat treating a substrate for a fuel cell includes stacking substrates to form a group. A dimension is determined for a plate corresponding to a resulting mass that is less than a predetermined mass. The plate is arranged above the group to apply a weight of the plate to the group. The resulting masses for spacer plates and intermediate lifting plates, for example, are minimized to reduce the pressure differential between the bottom and top substrates in the heat treat assembly. In another disclosed method, a dimension for a plate, such as a top plate, is determined that corresponds to a resulting mass that is greater than a predetermined mass. The plate is arranged above the group to apply a weight of the plate to the group. The top plate resulting mass is selected to minimize a variation in the average pressure of the substrates throughout the heat treat assembly.

Abstract: An arrangement for monitoring the current or state of charge (SOC) of an energy system (230) having one or more series-connected strings (S1, S2, . . . Sn) of battery cells (C1, C2, . . . Cn). The battery cells each have respective dissipative devices (D1, D2, . . . Dn) selectively connectable in parallel therewith for balancing cell voltages in the string. The dissipative devices are of predetermined, typically equal, impedance value. The voltage across each cell (Vc1, Vc2, . . . Vcn) may be separately monitored, such that by dividing the monitored voltage across a cell by the impedance value of a dissipative device connected in parallel therewith, the dissipative current is determined. A summation of all of the dissipative currents yields an error value, which error value is then removed from the measured gross current (Ibat) flowing through the combined battery cells and dissipative devices to yield a corrected value of current (Ibatnet). A corrected SOC value (Qnet) is obtainable in a similar manner.

Abstract: An integrated contaminant separator and water-control loop (10) decontaminates a fuel reactant stream of a fuel cell (12). Water passes over surfaces of an ammonia dissolving means (61) within a separator scrubber (58) while the fuel reactant stream simultaneously passes over the surfaces to dissolve contaminants from the fuel reactant stream into the water. An accumulator (68) collects the separated contaminant stream, and ion exchange material (69) integrated within the accumulator removes contaminants from the stream. A water-control pump (84) directs flow of a de-contaminated water stream from the accumulator (68) through a water-control loop (78) having a heat exchanger (86) and back onto the scrubber (58) to flow over the packed bed (62). Separating contaminants from the fuel reactant stream and then isolating and concentrating the separated contaminants within the ion exchange material (69) minimizes cost and maintenance requirements.

Abstract: A fuel cell catalyst comprises a support having a core arranged on the support. In one example, the core includes palladium nanoparticles. A layer, which is gold in one example, is arranged on the core. A platinum overlayer is arranged on the gold layer. The intermediate gold layer greatly increases the mass activity of the platinum compared to catalysts in which platinum is deposited directly onto the palladium without any intermediate gold layer.

Abstract: A catalytic nanoparticle includes a porous, hollow core and an atomically thin layer of platinum atoms on the core. The core is a porous palladium, palladium-M or platinum-M core, where M is selected from the group consisting of gold, iridium, osmium, palladium, rhenium, rhodium and ruthenium.

Abstract: The invention is a hydrogen passivation shut down system for a fuel cell power plant (10, 200). During shut down of the plant (10, 200), hydrogen fuel is permitted to transfer between an anode flow path (24, 24?) and a cathode flow path (38, 38?) while a low-pressure hydrogen generator (202) selectively generates an adequate amount of hydrogen and directs flow of the low-pressure hydrogen into the fuel cell (12?) downstream from a hydrogen inlet valve (52?) to maintain the fuel cell (12?) in a passive state.

Abstract: A catalytic nanoparticle includes a porous core and an atomically thin layer of platinum atoms on the core. The core is a porous palladium, palladium-M or platinum-M core, where M is selected from the group consisting of gold, iridium, osmium, palladium, rhenium, rhodium and ruthenium.

Abstract: A nanoparticle includes a noble metal skeletal structure. The noble metal skeletal structure is formed as an atomically thin layer of noble metal atoms that has a hollow center.

Abstract: A fuel cell 12 has a liquid electrolyte 20, a cathode electrode 28, and an anode electrode 26. The fuel cell includes an electrolyte condensation zone 58 extending from an edge 56 of a first catalyst layer 36 on the cathode electrode to an outer edge 48 of an edge seals 52 and 49. An anode electrode has an anode catalyst layer 30 with an end substantially coinciding with an inner edge 53 of the edge seals. The acid condensation zone is located near the reactant exit, so that electrolyte that has evaporated into the reactant stream can condense out before leaving the fuel cell for re-absorption back into the fuel cell.

Abstract: A fuel cell cooling system includes a fuel cell having a liquid loop that produces water vapor. An antifreeze cooling loop includes an inductor that receives the water vapor and introduces the water vapor to an antifreeze. The water is separated from the antifreeze and returned to the liquid cooling loop as liquid water after the mixture of condensed water vapor and antifreeze has passed through a radiator. Water in the liquid cooling loop exits the fuel cell and passes through a restricting valve thereby lowering the pressure of the water. A flash cooler downstream from the restricting valve collects the water vapor and provides it to the inductor in the antifreeze cooling loop. The flash cooling in the first cooling loop provides a first cooling capacity that is low temperature and pressure compatible with fuel cell operation.

Abstract: A stabilized platinum nanoparticle has a core portion surrounded by a plurality of outer surfaces. The outer surfaces include terrace regions formed of platinum atoms, and edge and corner regions formed of atoms from a second metal. The stabilized nanoparticle may be formed by combining a platinum nanoparticle with a metal salt in a solution. Ions of the second metal react with platinum and replace platinum atoms on the nanoparticle. Platinum atoms from the edge and corner regions react with the second metal ions quicker than surface atoms from the terraces, due to a greater difference in electrode potential between the platinum atoms at the edge and corner regions, as compared to the second metal in the solution. The platinum nanoparticle may include surface defects, such as steps and kinks, which may also be replaced with atoms of the second metal. In an exemplary embodiment, the platinum nanoparticle is a cathode catalyst in an electro-chemical cell.

Abstract: A method of making an electrochemical cell electrode substrate includes creating an aqueous or dry mixture of chopped carbon fibers, chopped cross-linkable resin fibers that are still fuseable after being formed into a felt, such as novolac, a temporary binder, such as polyvinyl alcohol fiber or powder, forming a non-woven felt from either an aqueous suspension of the aqueous mixture or an air suspension of the dry mixture, by a non-woven, wet-lay or dry-lay, respectively, felt forming process, a resin curing agent, such as hexamethylene tetramine may be included in the aqueous or dry mixture, or it may be coated onto the formed felt; pressing one or more layers of the formed felt for 1-5 minutes to a controlled thickness and a controlled porosity at a temperature at which the resin melts, cross-links and then cures, such as 150° C.-200° C.; and heat treating the pressed felt in a substantially inert atmosphere, first to 750° C.-1000° C. and then to 1000° C.-3000° C.

Abstract: A membrane electrode assembly includes an anode, a cathode, a membrane disposed between the anode and the cathode, wherein at least one of the anode, cathode and membrane contains a hydrocarbon ionomer, and an electrode catalyst disposed in at least one of the anode and the cathode, wherein the catalyst is a metal alloy catalyst.

Abstract: A fluid detection system and method for a fuel cell power plant is disclosed having a pressure sensor (61, 161) positioned in a fuel cell stack assembly (10) to measure pressure of fluid/liquid in a fluid/liquid flow path (40, 42, 44) therein and to provide a pressure-based signal (90, 63). The pressure-based signal (90, 63) is used to control a liquid management arrangement (53) at least during start-up and shut-down of the cell stack assembly (10) to regulate water level. The liquid management arrangement (53) may include means (50, 51) for controllably applying and releasing a vacuum to a water manifold (44, 54; 100) of the cell stack assembly (10) to regulate water flow and level therein. The pressure-based control of water level may extend across the entire operating range of the cell stack assembly (10), or may be complemented during steady state operation by voltage-based sensors (66, 166).