초록

The present disclosure relates in part to a flow field structure comprising a hydrophilic part and a hydrophobic part communicably attached to each other via a connecting interface. The present disclosure further relates to electrochemical cells comprising the aforementioned flow fields.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An integrated flow field structure comprising a plurality of hydrophobic channels and a plurality of hydrophilic channels in communication with each other via porous interfaces, wherein the integrated flow field structure is incorporated into a subassembly of an electrochemical cell, wherein at l

1. An integrated flow field structure comprising a plurality of hydrophobic channels and a plurality of hydrophilic channels in communication with each other via porous interfaces, wherein the integrated flow field structure is incorporated into a subassembly of an electrochemical cell, wherein at least some of the hydrophobic and hydrophilic channels are in an interlocking configuration and each channel has a span to width ratio ranging from about 0.5 to about 0.1. 2. The integrated flow field structure of claim 1, wherein the porous interface has a porosity of 30% to 100%. 3. The integrated flow field structure of claim 1, wherein the hydrophobic and hydrophilic channels comprise a porous material. 4. The integrated flow field structure of claim 3, wherein the porous material has a porosity of 30 to 100%. 5. The integrated flow field structure of claim 1, wherein the hydrophobic channels and hydrophilic channels are provided in an alternating configuration. 6. The integrated flow field structure of claim 1, wherein the hydrophobic channels and hydrophilic channels are provided in a random configuration. 7. The integrated flow field structure of claim 1, wherein the number of hydrophobic channels is equal to the number of hydrophilic channels. 8. The flow field structure of claim 1, wherein the number of hydrophobic channels is greater than the number of hydrophilic channels. 9. The integrated flow field structure of claim 1, wherein the number of hydrophobic channels is less than the number of hydrophilic channels. 10. The integrated flow field structure of claim 1, comprising 2 to 20 hydrophobic channels and 2 to 20 hydrophilic channels. 11. The integrated flow field structure of claim 1, wherein the hydrophobic channels and hydrophilic channels comprise graphitic carbon fiber mat, fiber cloth, graphitic carbon paper, sintered metal, metal forms, mesh, screen, reticulated vitreous carbon, or a combination thereof. 12. The integrated flow field structure of claim 11, wherein the hydrophobic channels and hydrophilic channels comprise graphitic carbon paper. 13. The subassembly of claim 1, further comprising a manifold. 14. The electrochemical cell of claim 1, which is selected from the group consisting of: a fuel cell, electrolyzer, regenerative fuel cell and a chemical sensor. 15. The integrated flow field structure of claim 1, wherein the interlocking configuration is interdigitation.