US 12,424,638 B2
Cathode structure of fuel cell
Zhijun Gu, Shanghai (CN); and Koschany Arthur, Shanghai (CN)
Assigned to JIANGSU HORIZON NEW ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES CO. LTD., Zhangjiagang (CN)
Appl. No. 16/761,002
Filed by JIANGSU HORIZON NEW ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES CO. LTD., Zhangjiagang (CN)
PCT Filed May 25, 2017, PCT No. PCT/CN2017/085899
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Mar. 18, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2018/214098, PCT Pub. Date Nov. 29, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0210767 A1, Jul. 8, 2021
Int. Cl. H01M 8/1004 (2016.01); H01M 4/86 (2006.01); H01M 4/88 (2006.01); H01M 4/90 (2006.01); H01M 4/96 (2006.01)
CPC H01M 4/96 (2013.01) [H01M 4/8657 (2013.01); H01M 4/8807 (2013.01); H01M 4/886 (2013.01); H01M 4/9008 (2013.01); H01M 4/9083 (2013.01); H01M 8/1004 (2013.01); H01M 2004/8689 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A cathode structure of a fuel cell, comprising: a cathode diffusion layer, wherein an air permeability adjusting structure is arranged around the cathode diffusion layer, and a cathode air permeability of the air permeability adjusting structure gradually varies along with fluid flow, wherein:
the air permeability adjusting structure includes:
a mixed layer between the cathode diffusion layer and a catalyst layer through which cooling fluid flows from a cooling fluid inlet at a back side to a cooling fluid outlet at a front side, and
a flow channel layer having a plurality of flow channels adjacent to the cathode diffusion layer through which oxygen-supply air flows horizontally from an oxygen-supply air flow inlet to an oxygen-supply air flow outlet,
wherein the cooling fluid and the oxygen-supply air flow through physically separate pathways, such that:
the cooling fluid flows through density regions in the mixed layer having decreasing air permeability from the cooling fluid inlet to the cooling fluid outlet, and
the oxygen-supply air flows through the flow channels having increasing air permeability from the oxygen-supply air flow inlet to the oxygen-supply air flow outlet.