A fuel cell electrode includes a carbon nanofiber substrate and a continuous film of up to 100 atom-thick monolayers forming a network of interconnected electrocatalyst nanoparticles deposited on the carbon nanofiber substrate such that at least some of the nanoparticles are directly adhered to uppermost nanofibers of the substrate to form a layer resistant to electrocatalyst depletion.

A gas diffusion layer (30) for a fuel cell includes: a gas diffusion layer substrate (31); and a microporous layer (32) containing a granular carbon material and scale-like graphite and formed on the gas diffusion layer substrate (31). The microporous layer (32) includes a concentrated region (32a) of the scale-like graphite that is formed into a belt-like shape extending in a direction approximately parallel to a junction surface (31a) between the microporous layer (32) and the gas diffusion layer substrate (31). Accordingly, both resistance to dry-out and resistance to flooding, which are generally in a trade-off relationship, in the gas diffusion layer can be ensured so as to contribute to an increase in performance of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell.

A fuel cell includes a proton-exchange membrane, and a cathode and anode fixed on its opposite sides. The anode delimits a flow conduit between a molecular-oxygen inlet area and a water outlet area. The cathode includes a support for catalyst material. The support has first and second materials to which catalyst is fixed, the first material being a graphitized material. The second material has a resistance to corrosion by oxygen that is greater than that of the first material. A quantity of the second material at the inlet area is greater than a quantity of the second material at the water outlet. The cathode comprises a first layer including the first material and a second layer including the second material. A thickness of the second layer decreases between the molecular-oxygen inlet area and the water outlet area.

A solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) includes a cathode electrode, a solid oxide electrolyte, and an anode electrode having a first region located adjacent to a fuel inlet and a second region located adjacent to a fuel outlet. The anode electrode includes a cermet having a nickel containing phase and a ceramic phase. The first region of the anode electrode contains a lower ratio of the nickel containing phase to the ceramic phase than the second region of the anode electrode.

An example of a stable electrode structure is to use a gradient electrode that employs large platinum particle catalyst in the close proximity to the membrane supported on conventional carbon and small platinum particles in the section of the electrode closer to a GDL supported on a stabilized carbon. Some electrode parameters that contribute to electrode performance stability and reduced change in ECA are platinum-to-carbon ratio, size of platinum particles in various parts of the electrode, use of other stable catalysts instead of large particle size platinum (alloy, etc), depth of each gradient sublayer. Another example of a stable electrode structure is to use a mixture of platinum particle sizes on a carbon support, such as using platinum particles that may be 6 nanometers and 3 nanometers. A conductive support is typically one or more of the carbon blacks.

A solid oxide electrochemical device comprises a solid electrolyte layer, the first surface and second surface having surface pores formed therein; a first composite electrolyte layer composed of metal and a solid electrolyte and having a first porosity; a second composite electrolyte layer composed of metal and the solid electrolyte and having the first porosity, the solid electrolyte layer sandwiched between the first composite electrolyte layer and the second composite electrolyte layer; a cathode on one of the first composite electrolyte layer and the second composite electrolyte layer; and an anode on another of the first composite electrolyte layer and the second composite electrolyte layer. The anode comprises an anode metal layer comprising pores; anode active material; and reforming catalyst, wherein the anode active material and the reforming catalyst line walls of the pores in the anode metal layer.

A fuel cell includes a flow field plate having at least one channel and at least one land, where each of the at least one channel is positioned between two adjacent lands. The fuel cell further includes a gas diffusion layer (GDL) positioned between the flow field plate and a catalyst layer, where the catalyst layer has a first region aligned with the at least one channel and a second region aligned with the at least one land. The first region may have a first catalyst material supported by a first catalyst support region, and the second region may have a second catalyst material supported by a second catalyst support region.

In an example, a process includes applying a platinum catalyst ink solution to a polymeric substrate to form a platinum-coated polymeric material having a first catalytic surface area. The process further includes utilizing a laser to process a portion of the platinum-coated polymeric material to form a patterned platinum-coated proton exchange membrane (PEM) material. The patterned platinum-coated PEM material has a second catalytic surface area that is greater than the first catalytic surface area.

A system and method of continuous fabrication of multi-material graded structures using additive manufacturing is disclosed. Using multi-material feedstocks and optimized processing parameters, the gradient on composition and structure are controlled to achieve smooth transition from one functional component to another functional component. A multi-material graded structure is produced as the feedstocks are transported from the feedstock reservoir system comprised of many different materials. Interface transition from one functional layer to the next is gradient, controlled by feedstock mixture ratios based on the flow rate control for the feedstock system. Composition includes chemical composition, physical composition, and porosity. Continuous automatic additive manufacturing method makes the fabrication more efficient and avoids joining problems. This method finds application in fabrication of a fuel cell, battery, reformer and other chemical reaction and process units, including structures made of multiple units, such as stacks, that incorporate multiple functional components.

Methods for optimizing, designing, making, and assembling various component parts and layers to produce optimized MEAs. Optimization is generally achieved by producing multi-layered MEAs wherein characteristics such as catalyst composition and morphology, ionomer concentration, and hydrophobicity/hydophilicity are specifically tuned in each layer. The MEAs are optimized for use with a variety of catalysts including catalysts with specifically designed and controlled morphology, chemical speciation on the bulk, chemical speciation on the surface, and/or specific hydrophobic or hydrophilic or other characteristics. The catalyst can incorporate non-platinum group metal (non-PGM) and/or platinum group metal (PGM) materials.