| Patent application number | Description | Published |
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| 20120208106 | CATALYST INK PREPARATION FOR FUEL CELL ELECTRODE FABRICATION - Methods of fabricating gas diffusion electrodes and gas diffusion electrodes made from such methods are disclosed herein. One method of fabricating a gas diffusion electrode for a fuel cell comprises preparing a catalyst ink of a predetermined viscosity. Preparing the catalyst ink comprises mixing a catalyst solution comprising catalyst particles, an ionomer and a solvent at a first speed for a first period of time and homogenizing the catalyst solution at a second speed in a temperature controlled environment for a second period of time, wherein the second period of time is longer than the first period of time, the second period of time and the second speed selected to preserve a structure of the catalyst particles during homogenization. An active electrode layer is formed by spraying the catalyst ink directly on a gas diffusion layer in a single application and a uniform loading. | 08-16-2012 |
| 20130045430 | PROCESS TO RECOVER PERFORMANCE OF FUEL CELL CATALYSTS - Disclosed herein are processes for recovering performance of fuel cells by recovering fuel cell catalyst activity and methods of testing the durability and activity performance of fuel cells. One catalyst recovery process disclosed herein for a fuel cell having a membrane electrode assembly comprises operating the fuel cell for a first recovery cycle with fuel gas supplied to an anode of the fuel cell and an oxidant supplied to a cathode of the fuel cell while drawing a current from the fuel cell at steady state throughout the first recovery cycle, the first recovery cycle having a predetermined time period. The fuel cell has reached end of life due in part to intermittent use prior to operating the fuel cell for the first recovery cycle. A life of the fuel cell improves when the first recovery cycle is complete. | 02-21-2013 |
| 20130045431 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR THE RECOVERY OF FUEL CELL CATALYST PERFORMANCE - Disclosed herein are systems and methods for recovering performance of fuel cells by recovering fuel cell catalyst activity. One system for recovering catalyst performance of a fuel cell stack made of one or more fuel cells in a vehicle comprises a sensor for detecting an EOL state of the fuel cell. A notification device notifies a user when the sensor detects the EOL state of the fuel cell. Means for drawing a steady-state load from the fuel cell stack is used to operate the fuel cell stack until the catalyst performance is recovered. | 02-21-2013 |
| 20130126072 | FABRICATION OF CATALYST COATED ELECTRODE SUBSTRATE WITH LOW LOADINGS USING DIRECT SPRAY METHOD - Disclosed herein are methods of making a membrane electrode assembly for a fuel cell. One method disclosed herein comprises preparing a catalyst ink of a predetermined viscosity, masking an electrode substrate having a first surface and a second surface on the first surface with a magnetic mask, spraying the catalyst ink on the first surface of the electrode substrate, and drying the catalyst ink by heating the electrode substrate and the magnetic mask in an oven at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined period of time. | 05-23-2013 |
| 20130157153 | APPARATUS AND METHOD OF IN SITU CATALYST DEGRADATION DETECTION DURING FUEL CELL OPERATION - Disclosed herein are catalyst degradation detection assemblies and methods of catalyst degradation detection that can be performed in-situ. One embodiment of an in-situ fuel cell catalyst degradation detection assembly comprises a humidified hydrogen supply configured to supply humidified hydrogen to an anode of a fuel cell, a humidified nitrogen supply configured to supply humidified nitrogen to a cathode of the fuel cell, a collection cell containing a liquid, the collection cell configured to receive either cathode exhaust from the fuel cell through a cathode exhaust line or anode exhaust from the fuel cell through an anode exhaust line and means for detecting a gas. | 06-20-2013 |
| 20130158757 | SYSTEM AND METHOD OF IN-SITU DIAGNOSIS OF FUEL CELL HEALTH DURING VEHICLE OPERATION - Disclosed herein are systems and methods of diagnosing in situ the health of a fuel cell stack while it is in operation in a vehicle. One such system of diagnosing in situ the health of a fuel cell stack while it is in operation in a vehicle comprises at least one gas sensor configured to detect a gas in exhaust from the fuel cell stack and a control unit configured to receive data from the gas sensor. The control unit has baseline data particular to a catalyst of the fuel cell stack and is programmed to determine information from the baseline data and the data from the gas sensor, the information providing a condition of the fuel cell stack. A display unit is configured to display an indication of the condition. | 06-20-2013 |
| 20140001176 | APPARATUS FOR RAPID SYNTHESIS OF FUEL CELL CATALYST USING CONTROLLED MICROWAVE HEATING | 01-02-2014 |
| 20140004440 | ULTRALOW LOADING FUEL CELL CATALYST | 01-02-2014 |
| 20140011665 | Rapid Synthesis of Fuel Cell Catalyst Using Controlled Microwave Heating - Methods for the rapid synthesis of catalyst are provided, as well as catalyst formed from such methods. One method of the rapid synthesis of catalyst comprises forming a homogenous solution comprising a precious metal precursor and a catalyst substrate, reducing the precious metal precursor to precious metal nanoparticles, and depositing the precious metal nanoparticles onto the catalyst substrate to form catalyst particles. The reducing and depositing steps comprise controlling a rate of increase in temperature of the solution with microwave irradiation until the solution is a predetermined temperature and maintaining the solution at the predetermined temperature with microwave irradiation. The method further comprises detecting completion of the reduction and deposition and ceasing microwave irradiation upon detection. | 01-09-2014 |
