Electrolyte creepage barrier for liquid electrolyte fuel cells

Patent · Tue Jan 22 04:00:00 EST 2008

OSTI ID:983779

Li, Jian ^[1]; Farooque, Mohammad ^[2]; Yuh, Chao-Yi ^[3]

---

1. Alberta, CA
2. Danbury, CT
3. New Milford, CT

A dielectric assembly for electrically insulating a manifold or other component from a liquid electrolyte fuel cell stack wherein the dielectric assembly includes a substantially impermeable dielectric member over which electrolyte is able to flow and a barrier adjacent the dielectric member and having a porosity of less than 50% and greater than 10% so that the barrier is able to measurably absorb and chemically react with the liquid electrolyte flowing on the dielectric member to form solid products which are stable in the liquid electrolyte. In this way, the barrier inhibits flow or creepage of electrolyte from the dielectric member to the manifold or component to be electrically insulated from the fuel cell stack by the dielectric assembly.

• Research Organization: National Energy Technology Laboratory, Pittsburgh, PA, and Morgantown, WV
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: FC21-95MC31184
• Assignee: FuelCell Energy, Inc. (Danbury, CT)
• Patent Number(s): 7,320,838
• Application Number: 10/405,569
• OSTI ID: 983779
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION