Ronald Dewitt Kelly

US Patent:

20030082435, May 1, 2003

Filed:

Oct 31, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/999124

Inventors:

Sivakumar Muthuswamy - Plantation FL, US
Steven Pratt - Plantation FL, US
Ronald Kelly - Coral Springs FL, US

International Classification:

H01M004/94
H01M008/10

US Classification:

429/044000, 429/042000, 429/022000, 429/030000

Abstract:

A fuel cell () includes a membrane electrode assembly () located together with a layer of variable porosity porous gas diffusion material (). The variable porosity gas diffusion material layer () operates to selectively limit the amount of reactants reaching localized areas of the membrane electrode assembly () in order to reduce hot spots.

US Patent:

20040023082, Feb 5, 2004

Filed:

Jul 31, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/209230

Inventors:

Ronald Kelly - Coral Springs FL, US
Steven Pratt - Ft. Lauderdale FL, US
Robert Pennisi - Boca Raton FL, US
Mark Bresin - Plantation FL, US

International Classification:

H01M008/00
H01M008/10
H01M002/08

US Classification:

429/012000, 429/019000, 429/030000, 429/035000

Abstract:

A fuel cell device () has a configuration for easy activation to quickly achieve steady-state operation performance. The fuel cell device () has a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) () and fuel () housed in separate sealed compartments (). The MEA () is pre-hydrated to have a predetermined water content selected for proper steady-state operation of the fuel cell. Prior to activation, the MEA () is sealed from air and sealed from the fuel (). An integral fuel cell activator mechanism () is provided to unseal the MEA compartment () and expose the MEA () to air, and to initiate a flow of fuel () from the fuel compartment () to the MEA ().