Abstract: The invention is an integrated heat sink fuel cell assembly made of a heat sink assembly with a base and at least one cooling fin extending from the base, at least one connector extending from the heat sink assembly to a heat source, and at least one fuel cell comprising a cathode and an anode integrally disposed within the cooling fin and between the cathode and the anode is an electrolyte.

Abstract: A sheet of substrate material is corrugated. First and second troughs are defined on opposed faces of the substrate material. Ion-conducting regions are located in a common wall of the first and second troughs. In the ion-conducting regions ions can pass through the substrate material between the first and second troughs.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method making a compact chemical reactor with high aspect ratio cavities comprising the steps: forming at least one intermediate assembly, consisting of: at least one frame comprising: a process layer, a perimeter barrier and at least one low aspect ratio cavity; at least one frame comprising: a process layer, two perimeter barriers, and at least two low aspect ratio cavities disposed on a second process layer; at least one layer comprising a perimeter barrier formed on one side of a process layer with at least one low aspect ratio cavity; or combinations of (i) and (iii) joined together; joining at least two intermediate assemblies together to create a compact chemical reactor with at least one high aspect ratio cavity; and joining the compact chemical reactor with at least one high aspect ratio cavity to two reactant plenums to facilitate a transport process between the reactant plenums and the process layers.

Abstract: The invention is a method for making a fuel cell layer by forming a porous substrate, adding two coatings to the porous substrate, forming distinct channels with walls, forming anodes and cathodes in the walls by depositing catalyst layers, disposing electrolyte in a portion of each channel, disposing a sealant barriers on different sides of the substrate and distinct channels, attaching a positive electrical and a negative electrical connection the porous substrate, attaching a fuel cell positive and negative electrical connection to each independent fuel cells forming a fuel cell layer, and disposing a sealant barrier around at least a portion of the fuel cell layer.

Abstract: The fuel cell layer with a central axis includes a first and a second unit fuel cell, an oxidant plenum comprising an oxidant; and a fuel plenum comprises a fuel; and each unit fuel cell comprises: a first and second process layer; a first cavity and second cavity formed between the first and second process layer and a first process layer of an adjacent unit fuel cell; a first perimeter barrier disposed on the second process layer substantially surrounding the second cavity; a second perimeter barrier disposed on the first process layer substantially surrounding the first cavity forming a unit fuel cell comprising a front face and back face; the first cavity is in communication with the oxidant plenum; the second cavity is in communication with the fuel plenum; wherein at least one of the process layers transports ions between the first and second cavities.

Abstract: The compact chemical reactor with a central axis includes at least two unit reactors disposed adjacent to each other to form front and back sides of the compact chemical reactor; a front and back reactant plenum communicating with the front and back side respectively; at least one of the plenums comprises a reactant; and unit reactors comprising: a front cavity between front and back process layers; a back cavity between back and front process layers of adjacent unit reactors; the process layers facilitate transport processes between reactant plenums; each cavity communicates with one side of the compact chemical reactor; a front and back perimeter barrier on the back and front process layers respectfully, substantially surrounding respective cavities. At least one of the unit reactors comprise at least one frame formed from one of the process layers, at least one of the perimeter barriers, and at least one of the cavities.

Abstract: The compact chemical reactor includes one or more unit reactors, a front reactant plenum, and a back reactant plenum. Each unit reactor is made of a front and back process layer, a front and back cavity, and a front and back perimeter barrier. The resulting assemblage is configured so the front cavity is in communication with the front side of the compact chemical reactor and the back cavity is in communication with the back side of the compact chemical reactor. The process layers facilitate an exchange of reactants between the reactant plenums.

Abstract: A fuel cell layer with a fuel plenum, an oxidant, and a plurality of fuel cells, wherein each fuel cell has a porous substrate, a channel, an anode and a cathode formed in opposite channel walls, an electrolyte contacting the anode and the cathode preventing transfer of fuel to the cathode and transfer of oxidant to the anode, a coatings to prevent fuel or oxidant from entering a portion of the porous substrate, a first sealant barrier disposed on the first side and the second sealant barrier disposed on the second side, and a positive and a negative electrical connection disposed on the second side, wherein multiple fuel cells are connected and the fuel cell assembly generates a current to drive an external load.

Abstract: The invention is a multiple fuel cell layer structure with numerous fuel cell layers, each fuel cell has an anode, a cathode, a positive end and a negative end, wherein a first fuel cell layer is stacked on top of a second fuel cell layer such that the anode side of the first fuel cell and the anode side of the second fuel cell adjoin, additional fuel cell layers can then added in a like manner, at least one seal disposed between the adjacent fuel cell layers forming at least one plenum, and a positive and a negative connector is connected to the stack to an outside load such that when fuel is presented to the anode sides of the fuel cell layers and oxidant is presented to the cathode sides of the fuel cell layers current is produced to drive the outside load.

Abstract: The invention is an electrochemical cell for the separation of hydrogen and oxygen from water made of a fuel plenum with a fuel inlet, a oxidant plenum, a porous substrate, an undulating channel with walls, a support member between the walls, an anode and a cathode in the walls, an electrolyte contacting the anode and the cathode forming a barrier preventing transfer of fuel and oxidant to the cathode or to the anode, a two separate coatings on the porous substrate to prevent fuel or oxidant from entering the porous substrate, a sealant barrier to divide the two plenums, and a negative electrical and a positive electrical connection on the side of the porous substrate for flowing current from an outside source to the porous substrate.

Abstract: The invention is a fuel cell layer for connecting to an external load made of a fuel plenum, an oxidant plenum, a porous substrate connecting the fuel and oxidant plenums, and a plurality of fuel cells, wherein each cell has a distinct channel, two catalyst layers, an anode in one layer and a cathode in the other layer, an electrolyte in the channel to prevent transfer of fuel to the cathode and oxidant to the anode, two coatings on the porous substrate to prevent fuel or oxidant, sealant barriers, and a positive electrical and negative electrical connection disposed on the side of the channel.

Abstract: The invention is an electrochemical cell made of a first electrode, a second electrode, and a curable liquid electrolyte located between the first and second electrodes, wherein the curable liquid electrolyte is made of a protonic polymer having an polymeric backbone with side chains with acidic groups for conducting proton for an electrochemical cell, a first vinyl monomer with a —(COOH)— group, and a cross linking agent with a second vinyl monomer.

Abstract: The invention is an integrated heat sink fuel cell assembly made of a heat sink assembly with a base and at least one cooling fin extending from the base, at least one connector extending from the heat sink assembly to a heat source, and at least one fuel cell comprising a cathode and an anode integrally disposed within the cooling fin and between the cathode and the anode is an electrolyte.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for making an electrochemical cell by forming a curable PFSI electrolyte by mixing a perfluro sulfonate ionomer (PFSI) with a monomer and a cross linking agent having at least two vinyl functionalities in order to form a mixture, and then removing the solvent of the PFSI by distillation to obtain a curable PFSI electrolyte, disposing the curable PFSI electrolyte on a first electrode and a second electrode forming a precursor, and treating the precursor to cure at least a portion of the curable PFSI electrolyte forming a cured electrolyte composition, and, further, the invention relates to an electrochemical cell made by the method and fuel cell made by the method.

Abstract: A separator plate for use in a fuel cell stack has a fuel gas flow field adjacent one surface and an oxidant gas flow field adjacent the other surface. The fuel cells in the stack are proton exchange membrane fuel cells having undulate membrane electrode assemblies. The flowpaths of the flow fields comprise parallel flow channels that extend longitudinally and interconnected at their ends to the separator plates. The couplings for the oxidant gas flow channels are offset from those for the fuel flow channels. The interconnecting couplings may be formed by stamping, machining or molding the separator plate.

Abstract: An improved structure for a proton exchange membrane fuel cell stack is disclosed. The proton exchange membrane fuel cell stack comprising a membrane electrode assembly layer having a first surface and a second surface wherein a fuel gas flow field comprising at least one fuel gas flowpath is adjacent the first surface and an oxidant gas flow field comprising at least one oxidant gas flowpath is adjacent the second surface, the flowpaths having parallel transversely spaced and longitudinally extending flow channels interconnected in the vicinity of the ends of the flow channels to form the flowpaths.

Abstract: A proton exchange membrane (PEM)-type fuel cell is formed from layered undulate MEA structures and separator plates alternating with each other in the stack dimension so that each layered MEA structure is disposed between and attached to an associated pair of separator plates so as to form at least one discrete conduit on each side of each layered MEA structure through which conduit reactant gas may be circulated. Each layered MEA structure is formed from proton exchange membrane material sandwiched between a pair of spaced-apart current collectors with electro-catalyst particles between the membrane material and each current collector so that the membrane material and electro-catalyst particles fill the space between the current collectors, forming together with the current collectors a layered MEA structure.