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A current collector for use in a fuel cell is described and wherein the fuel cell includes an ion exchange membrane having opposite anode and cathode sides, and a current collector is disposed in ohmic electrical contact with each of the anode and cathode sides, and wherein at least one of the curre

A current collector for use in a fuel cell is described and wherein the fuel cell includes an ion exchange membrane having opposite anode and cathode sides, and a current collector is disposed in ohmic electrical contact with each of the anode and cathode sides, and wherein at least one of the current collectors has a surface area which provides substantially effective operational hydration for the ion exchange membrane.

대표청구항 ▼

We claim: 1. A fuel cell comprising: an ion exchange membrane having opposite anode and cathode sides; and a current collector disposed in ohmic electrical contact with each of the anode and cathode sides, and wherein at least one of the current collectors has a surface area which defines a plurali

We claim: 1. A fuel cell comprising: an ion exchange membrane having opposite anode and cathode sides; and a current collector disposed in ohmic electrical contact with each of the anode and cathode sides, and wherein at least one of the current collectors has a surface area which defines a plurality of variously sized openings which are distributed in a predetermined pattern, and which provides for effective operational hydration for the ion exchange membrane. 2. A fuel cell as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ion exchange membrane, during operation, has regions which have a higher temperature than an adjacent region and wherein the variously sized openings are smaller in size in the regions which have a higher temperature, than regions adjacent thereto which have a lower relative temperature. 3. A fuel cell as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ion exchange membrane during operation has regions having lower amounts of hydration in relative comparison to adjacent regions, and wherein the variously sized openings in the regions having lower relative hydration are smaller in size in relative comparison to those openings disposed arid in the regions having a greater degree of hydration. 4. A fuel cell as claimed in claim 1, wherein the anode side of the ion exchange membrane during operation, is supplied with a fuel gas, and the cathode is supplied with a source of oxidant, and wherein the fuel gas is introduced at a first location relative to the ion exchange membrane, and any remaining fuel gas and by-products are removed at a second location, and wherein the size of the variously sized openings has a first size when measured at the first location, and a second size when measured at the second location, and wherein the first size is smaller than the second size. 5. A fuel cell as claimed in claim 1, and wherein the surface area of both current collectors define a variable amount of open area. 6. A fuel cell as claimed in claim 1, wherein the surface area of each current collector defines a plurality of predetermined open areas, and wherein the respective open areas are variable in size and location, and wherein the location of the predetermined open areas and the relative open area percentage in relative comparison to the surface area of the current collector are substantially the same. 7. A fuel cell as claimed in claim 1, and wherein the surface area of each current collector defines a plurality of predetermined open areas, and wherein the respective open areas are variable in size and in location and wherein the location of the open areas and the relative open area percentage in relative comparison to the surface area of the current collectors are different. 8. A fuel cell as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ion exchange membrane has a gas diffusion layer which is borne on at least one of the anode or cathode sides, and wherein the gas diffusion layer has a surface area defined by X, Y, and Z axes, and wherein the hydrophobicity of the gas diffusion layer is varied in one of the X, Y, or Z axes. 9. A fuel cell as claimed in claim 1, wherein the ion exchange membrane has a gas diffusion layer which is borne on at least one of the anode or cathode sides, and wherein the gas diffusion layer has a surface area defined by X, Y, and Z axes, and wherein the hydrophobicity and porosity of the gas diffusion layer is varied in one of the X, Y, or Z axes. 10. A fuel cell as claimed in claim 1, wherein a gas diffusion layer is borne on one of the anode or cathode sides of the ion exchange membrane, and wherein the gas diffusion layer has a surface treatment, which in combination with the current collector, provides for substantially uniform hydration of the ion exchange membrane. 11. A fuel cell as claimed in claim 1, wherein a gas diffusion layer is borne by at least one of the anode or cathode sides of the ion exchange membrane, and wherein the gas diffusion layer has an outwardly facing surface, and wherein a substantially pressure independent contact resistance is established between the outwardly facing surface of the gas diffusion layer and the current collector. 12. A fuel cell as claimed in claim 1, wherein a gas diffusion layer having a porous metalized outwardly facing surface is borne by at least one of the anode or cathode sides of the ion exchange membrane, and wherein a substantially pressure independent contact resistance is established between the porous metalized outwardly facing surface, and the adjacent current collector, and wherein the porosity of the porous metalized outwardly facing surface is substantially uniform. 13. A fuel cell as claimed in claim 1, wherein a gas diffusion layer having a porous metalized outwardly facing surface is borne by at least one of the anode or cathode sides of the ion exchange membrane, and wherein a substantially pressure independent contact resistance is established between the porous metalized outwardly facing surface, and the adjacent current collector, and wherein the porosity is varied such that, in combination with the current collector, the ion exchange membrane is substantially uniformly hydrated. 14. A fuel cell as claimed in claim 1, and wherein a pair of ion exchange membranes are made integral with a hand manipulatable fuel cell module, and wherein the fuel cell module produces heat energy during operation, and has a cathode airflow which dissipates less than a preponderance of the heat energy produced during operation. 15. A fuel cell as claimed in claim 1, and wherein a pair of ion exchange membranes are made integral with a hand manipulatable fuel cell module, and wherein the fuel cell module produces heat energy during operations, and has a cathode airflow which dissipates a preponderance of the heat energy generated during operation. 16. A fuel cell as claimed in claim 1, and wherein a pair of ion exchange membranes are made integral with a hand manipulatable fuel cell module, and wherein the cathode sides of the respective ion exchange membranes are disposed in spaced proximal relation one to the other, and the anode sides of the respective ion exchange membranes are distally related. 17. A fuel cell as claimed in claim 1, wherein a gas diffusion layer is borne by at least one of the anode or cathode sides, and which further has a gas permeability and hydrophobicity which, in combination with the plurality of variously sized opening as defined by the current collectors, facilitates the effective hydration of the ion exchange membrane. 18. A fuel cell as claimed in claim 17, and wherein the gas permeability is controlled, in part, by a porous metalized layer which is borne by the gas diffusion layer. 19. A fuel cell as claimed in claim 18, and wherein the porous metalized layer is substantially uniformly porous. 20. A fuel cell as claimed in claim 18, and wherein the porous metalized layer has a non-uniform porosity. 21. A fuel cell as claimed in claim 18, and wherein a pressure independent contact resistance is established between the porous metalized layer and the adjacent current collector. 22. A fuel cell as claimed in claim 21, wherein the plurality of variously sized openings which are defined by the current collector are uniformly spaced one from another. 23. A fuel cell as claimed in claim 21, and wherein the plurality of variously sized openings which are defined by the current collector are spaced at variable distances one from another. 24. A fuel cell as claimed in claim 21, and wherein the gas diffusion layer has a surface area defined by X, Y, and Z axes, and wherein the hydrophobicity of the gas diffusion layer is varied in at least one of the X, Y, and Z axes. 25. A fuel cell as claimed in claim 21, and wherein a pair of ion exchange membranes are provided and which are made integral with a hand manipulatable fuel cell module which has a cathode airflow, and wherein the fuel cell module produces heat energy during operation and wherein a preponderance of the heat energy is removed by way of the cathode airflow. 26. A fuel cell as claimed in claim 25, and wherein the anode sides of the respective ion exchange membranes are disposed in spaced proximal relation one to the other and the cathode sides of the respective ion exchange membranes are distally related. 27. A fuel cell as claimed in claim 17, and wherein a pair of ion exchange membranes are provided and which are made integral with a hand manipulatable fuel cell module which has a cathode airflow, and wherein the fuel cell module produces heat energy during operation and wherein less than a preponderance of the heat energy is removed by way of the cathode airflow.