Abstract: The present invention relates to an electrochemical cell having a catalytic electrode and an electrically conductive contact element facing the electrode. The electrically conductive contact element conducts electrical current from the electrode and has a surface comprising a plurality of passivated regions, and a plurality of non-passivated regions dispersed among the passivated regions. The surface further is coated with an electrically conductive, corrosion resistant coating. Other preferred aspects of the present invention include methods of treating the electrically conductive contact element by passivation to resist corrosion while still maintaining electrical conductivity.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a structural assembly is provided. In one embodiment, the method includes the steps of providing first and second structural members having preselected shapes and dimensions. The first structural member defines a first raised portion and the second structural member defines a second raised portion. According to one embodiment, the providing step includes forming the first and second structural members into preselected shapes and dimensions. The first and second structural members can comprise plates, T-stiffeners or tubular members. The first raised portion of the first structural member is positioned adjacent to the second raised portion of the second structural member following the providing step to thereby define an interface therebetween and wherein the first and second raised portions define a substantially consumable weld land.

Abstract: A fuel cell arrangement consisting of several fuel cells, arranged at least essentially in parallel, with cooling gaps formed between neighboring cells extending between an inlet and an outlet and through which a coolant flows, characterized by the fact that the specific surface, i.e. the area of the cooling surfaces emitting heat to the coolant, increases in the direction from the inlet to the outlet and/or that the local heat transfer coefficient of the cooling areas emitting heat to the coolant increases in the direction of flow from the inlet to the outlet and/or that the support materials of the fuel cells, i.e. the membrane-electrode assemblies, exhibit a coefficient of thermal conductivity above 200 W/(m·K). In this way, a uniform temperature in the fuel cells can be assured to that the power density can be increased while avoiding hot spots and/or the service life can be increased.

Abstract: A fuel cell cooling system is provided with a coolant pump for pumping fluid through coolant flow field passages in a fuel cell stack. A pressure control mechanism is provided for maintaining a pressure level within the fuel cell stack for causing a phase change of the coolant within the stack. Allowing the coolant to change phase to a gas inside the stack reduces the amount of coolant needed to cool the fuel cell stack and thereby reduces the energy needed to pump the coolant through the fuel cell stack.

Abstract: A bipolar plate assembly is provided for use in a fuel cell stack to supply reactants to the anode and cathode sides of fuel cells within the stack. The bipolar plate assembly includes first and second sub-plates, each including a first face surface having a coolant flow field formed therein and a second face surface having a reactant flow field formed therein. The coolant fields of the first and second sub-plates include regions of varying flow volume, having respective flow resistance therebetween. The regions of varying flow volume enable variable cooling across the fuel cell stack, thereby enabling a constant temperature to be achieved across the fuel cell stack.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a structural assembly is provided. In one embodiment, the method includes the steps of providing first and second structural members having preselected shapes and dimensions. The first structural member defines a first raised portion and the second structural member defines a second raised portion. According to one embodiment, the providing step includes forming the first and second structural members into preselected shapes and dimensions. The first and second structural members can comprise plates, T-stiffeners or tubular members. The first raised portion of the first structural member is positioned adjacent to the second raised portion of the second structural member following the providing step to thereby define an interface therebetween and wherein the first and second raised portions define a substantially consumable weld land.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a structural assembly is provided. In one embodiment, the method includes the steps of providing first and second structural members having preselected shapes and dimensions. The first structural member defines a first raised portion and the second structural member defines a second raised portion. According to one embodiment, the providing step includes forming the first and second structural members into preselected shapes and dimensions. The first and second structural members can comprise plates, T-stiffeners or tubular members. The first raised portion of the first structural member is positioned adjacent to the second raised portion of the second structural member following the providing step to thereby define an interface therebetween and wherein the first and second raised portions define a substantially consumable weld land.

Abstract: A fuel cell system and process using an organic Rankine cycle to produce shaft work to operate a fuel cell system component such as an air compressor. The air compressor delivers compressed air to a fuel cell stack. The steps of the Rankine cycle include pumping a liquid working fluid to an elevated pressure, heating the fluid to a gas, expanding the high temperature and high-pressure gas through an expander to produce shaft work used to drive a fuel cell system component such as an air compressor, and then removing energy from the cooling fluid to change the gas back to a liquid, and repeating the cycle. The liquid fluid can be heated by an external boiler, or one of the components of the fuel cell system such as the combustor and/or the fuel cell stack.

Abstract: A fuel cell system and process using an organic Rankine cycle to produce shaft work to operate a fuel cell system component such as an air compressor. The air compressor delivers compressed air to a fuel cell stack. The steps of the Rankine cycle include pumping a liquid working fluid to an elevated pressure, heating the fluid to a gas, expanding the high temperature and high-pressure gas through an expander to produce shaft work used to drive a fuel cell system component such as an air compressor, and then removing energy from the cooling fluid to change the gas back to a liquid, and repeating the cycle. The liquid fluid can be heated by an external boiler, or one of the components of the fuel cell system such as the combustor and/or the fuel cell stack.

Abstract: A fuel cell system and process using an organic Rankine cycle to produce shaft work to operate a fuel cell system component such as an air compressor. The air compressor delivers compressed air to a fuel cell stack. The steps of the Rankine cycle include pumping a liquid working fluid to an elevated pressure, heating the fluid to a gas, expanding the high temperature and high-pressure gas through an expander to produce shaft work used to drive a fuel cell system component such as an air compressor, and then removing energy from the cooling fluid to change the gas back to a liquid, and repeating the cycle. The liquid fluid can be heated by an external boiler, or one of the components of the fuel cell system such as the combustor and/or the fuel cell stack.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a structural assembly is provided. In one embodiment, the method includes the steps of providing first and second structural members having preselected shapes and dimensions. The first structural member defines a first raised portion and the second structural member defines a second raised portion. According to one embodiment, the providing step includes forming the first and second structural members into preselected shapes and dimensions. The first and second structural members can comprise plates, T-stiffeners or tubular members. The first raised portion of the first structural member is positioned adjacent to the second raised portion of the second structural member following the providing step to thereby define an interface therebetween and wherein the first and second raised portions define a substantially consumable weld land.

Abstract: A fuel cell system and process using an organic Rankine cycle to produce shaft work to operate a fuel cell system component such as an air compressor. The air compressor delivers compressed air to a fuel cell stack. The steps of the Rankine cycle include pumping a liquid working fluid to an elevated pressure, heating the fluid to a gas, expanding the high temperature and high-pressure gas through an expander to produce shaft work used to drive a fuel cell system component such as an air compressor, and then removing energy from the cooling fluid to change the gas back to a liquid, and repeating the cycle. The liquid fluid can be heated by an external boiler, or one of the components of the fuel cell system such as the combustor and/or the fuel cell stack.

Abstract: A fuel cell arrangement consisting of several fuel cells, arranged at least essentially in parallel, with cooling gaps formed between neighboring cells extending between an inlet and an outlet and through which a coolant flows, characterized by the fact that the specific surface, i.e. the area of the cooling surfaces emitting heat to the coolant, increases in the direction from the inlet to the outlet and/or that the local heat transfer coefficient of the cooling areas emitting heat to the coolant increases in the direction of flow from the inlet to the outlet and/or that the support materials of the fuel cells, i.e. the membrane-electrode assemblies, exhibit a coefficient of thermal conductivity above 200 W/(m·K). In this way, a uniform temperature in the fuel cells can be assured to that the power density can be increased while avoiding hot spots and/or the service life can be increased.

Abstract: An improved method of manufacturing is provided for making an improved merged MR head. The method employs a photoresist mask with appropriately-sized openings for simultaneously etching numerous vias to various depths over a set time period. After formation of the vias, a single photoresist mask is employed to pattern in one step gap layers G3, G2, G1 and a first shield layer S1 to the desired lateral configuration for the merged MR head. Subsequent to patterning these thin film layers, double insulation layers I2 and I3 are individually soft baked on top of the coil structure of the head followed by patterning of the layers I2/I3 by a single photoresist mask. These layers are then hard baked to retain the desired smooth configuration of the layers. The improved merged MR head has a smooth configuration to its top pole piece P2 because of the smooth configuration of the I2/I3 layer so that flux leakage and saturation problems are minimized.

Abstract: Improved processes for generating a structure having beveled edges are presented. In a preferred embodiment, two photoresist layers are successively deposited on top of the target material, e.g., a metallization film. The intermediate photoresist layer is developed beyond the lithographically delineated boundaries of the top photoresist layer, forming deep recesses. These recesses remain unchanged during the subsequent etching step, resulting in pre-defined edge profiles in the target material.

Abstract: A magnetoresistive (MR) read transducer comprising a thin film MR layer formed of ferromagnetic material and a nonmagnetic thin film spacer layer in contact with the MR layer. The spacer layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of nichrome and nichrome with chromium oxide. A thin film of soft magnetic material is deposited in contact with the spacer layer so that a transverse bias is produced in at least a part of the MR layer. A feature of the invention is that the resistivity of the spacer layer can be chosen by selecting the ratio of nichrome to chromium oxide in the spacer layer. In a specific embodiment the spacer layer extends over only the central region of the MR layer. In case the MR layer is a nickel based alloy, a wet chemical etching process using an etchant comprising an aqueous solution of ceric ammonium nitrate and acetic acid can be used to pattern the spacer layer.

Abstract: The method for separating from a mother liquor containing at least two liquids, one of the two liquids including the steps of:(a) forming a precipitatable complex from one of the liquids and a complexing agent;(b) precipitating the precipitatable complex from the method liquor; and(c) recovering the second liquid from the remaining mother liquor. Typically, the two liquid substances are tetrahydrofuran and toluene and the complexing agent is titanium tetrachloride. The precipitatable complex is TiCl.sub.4.2C.sub.4 H.sub.8 O or TiCl.sub.4.C.sub.4 H.sub.8 O. Preferably, a cooling step is included in the method to enhance the removal of the precipitatabe complex. Superfractionation of the remaining liquor in distillation columns enables one to recover toluene, hexane, titanium tetrachloride and tetrahydrofuran. An apparatus for carrying out the method of recovering solvents in also disclosed.

Abstract: A magnetoresistive (MR) read transducer comprising a thin film MR layer formed of ferromagnetic material and a nonmagnetic thin film spacer layer in contact with the MR layer. The spacer layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of nichrome and nichrome with chromium oxide. A thin film of soft magnetic material is deposited in contact with the spacer layer so that a transverse bias is produced in at least a part of the MR layer. A feature of the invention is that the resistivity of the spacer layer can be chosen by selected the ration of nichrome to chromium oxide in the spacer layer. In a specific embodiment the spacer layer extends over only the central region of the MR layer. In case the MR layer is a nickel based alloy, a wet chemical etching process using an etchant comprising an aqueous solution of ceric ammonium nitrate and acetic acid can be used pattern the spacer layer.

Abstract: A thin film magnetic head is provided in which the electrical insulation surrounding the conductive coil comprises a photosensitive resin which has been crosslinked by a thermally activated crosslinking agent or promotor. The addition of the thermally activated crosslinking agent or promotor greatly reduces both the cure temperature and cure time and results in enhanced dimensional stability without any deleterious effects.

Abstract: The reactive ion etching and thermal flow resistance of a resist image is enhanced by contacting the resist image with an alkyl metal compound of magnesium or aluminum.