1. A plate for a fuel cell comprising:
a plate having an active surface with a plurality of flow channels formed therein, the plurality of flow channels having a hydrophilic coating deposited therein and defining a plurality of lands disposed therebetween, the plurality of lands being free of the hydrophilic coating, wherein a thickness of the hydrophilic coating is substantially constant along a length of the active surface and an edge of the hydrophilic coating adjacent the plurality of lands is substantially continuous.
2. The plate of claim 1, wherein a thickness of the hydrophilic coating is greater than about 120 nm.
3. The plate of claim 1, wherein the substantially continuous edge is substantially free of fissures.
4. A PEM fuel cell comprising:
a bipolar plate having an active surface with a plurality of flow channels formed therein, the plurality of flow channels having a hydrophilic coating deposited therein and defining a plurality of lands disposed therebetween, the plurality of lands being free of the hydrophilic coating, wherein a thickness of the hydrophilic coating is substantially constant along a length of the active surface and an edge of the hydrophilic coating adjacent the plurality of lands is substantially continuous; and
a porous gas diffusion medium in contact with the plurality of lands, wherein a contact resistance between the bipolar plate and the gas diffusion medium is less than about 20 mOhm-cm2 at a contact pressure of at least about 50 psi.
5. The PEM fuel cell of claim 4, wherein the contact resistance between the bipolar plate and the gas diffusion medium is less than about 10 mOhm-cm at a contact pressure of at least about 200 psi.
6. A method for coating a fuel cell bipolar plate, the method comprising the steps of:
providing the bipolar plate having an active surface with a plurality of flow channels formed therein, the plurality of flow channels defining a plurality of lands therebetween;
applying a hydrophilic coating to the active surface of the bipolar plate;
absorbing the hydrophilic coating from the plurality of lands; and
finishing the hydrophilic coating disposed in the plurality of flow channels.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein the hydrophilic coating includes a slurry solution including a quantity of hydrophilic nanoparticles and a solvent.
8. The method of claim 6, wherein the applying the hydrophilic coating includes submerging the bipolar plate in a bath including a hydrophilic material.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the applying the hydrophilic coating further includes removing the bipolar plate from the bath including the hydrophilic material, wherein the hydrophilic coating is applied to the active surface.
10. The method of claim 6, wherein the applying the hydrophilic coating includes a spraying of the hydrophilic coating onto the active surface.
11. The method of claim 6, wherein the absorbing the hydrophilic coating includes applying an absorbent body to the active surface at a vertical pressure and a time sufficient to absorb the hydrophilic coating from the plurality of lands.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the vertical pressure is less than about 25 psi.
13. The method of claim 11, wherein the absorbent body includes a carbon paper.
14. The method of claim 11, wherein the absorbent body includes a non-woven polyester material.
15. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of cleaning the absorbent body after the hydrophilic coating is absorbed.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the absorbent body is cleaned after absorbing the hydrophilic coating from the plurality of lands at least 10 times.
17. The method of claim 6, wherein the steps of applying the hydrophilic coating to the active surface and absorbing the hydrophilic coating from the plurality of lands are repeated to provide a hydrophilic coating in the plurality of flow channels having a desired thickness.
18. The method of claim 6, wherein the finishing of the hydrophilic coating includes a drying of the hydrophilic coating.
19. The method of claim 6, wherein the finishing of the hydrophilic coating includes a curing of the hydrophilic coating.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein the curing includes heating the hydrophilic coating to about 150\xb0 C. for about 10 minutes.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A rechargeable battery pack with integrated battery (s) and universal serial bus (USB) capable of adapting various receptacle configurations.
2. The conventional battery pack of claim 1, with integrated step down converter circuit, and high speed timing control circuit; and with integrated high speed control signals and an Integrated converter circuit with digital regulated power signals.