1. An integrated PEM fuel cell, comprising:
at least two bipolar plate assemblies, each including:
a gas impermeable plate and
multiple unidirectional electrically conductive fibers, each fiber having anode fiber ends and cathode fiber ends,
the fibers being grouped in longitudinal bundles extending perpendicular to the plate,
the anode fiber ends on one side of the plate and the cathode fiber ends on the other side of the plate,
each of the fibers being coated in a gas impermeable coating, the coating extending from the plate towards each of the fiber ends, a portion of the fibers adjacent the fiber ends remaining uncoated,
the fiber end portions transitioning to uncoated fiber brushes presenting fiber tips, wherein the uncoated fiber brushes comprise micro channels that increase in diameter from the portion of the fibers adjacent the fiber ends towards the fiber tips;
the anode side of one of the bipolar plate assemblies facing the cathode side of the other bipolar plate assembly;
a membrane electrode assembly, including:
an anode catalyst support located on fiber tips of the anode fiber ends and an anode catalyst located on the anode catalyst support;
a cathode catalyst support located on fiber tips of the cathode fiber ends and a cathode catalyst located on the cathode catalyst support; and
a proton exchange membrane interconnecting the cathode catalyst support and the anode catalyst support.
2. The fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the anode catalyst support and the cathode catalyst support are each an ion exchange polymer.
3. The fuel cell according to claim 2, wherein the anode catalyst support and the cathode catalyst support are each in the form of droplets or a coating on the fiber ends.
4. The fuel cell according to claim 3, wherein the proton exchange membrane is formed as a ion exchange polymer placed on the catalyst support on the fiber ends.
5. The fuel cell of claim 1, wherein the bundles are arranged in a matrix to define a fuel flow field on one side of the plate and an oxidant flow field on the other side of the plate.
6. The fuel cell of claim 1, further comprising collector plate assemblies, including a conductive plate for electrically connecting to an anode end of one of the bipolar plate assemblies; and a second conductive plate for electrically connecting to a cathode end of another of the bipolar plate assemblies.
7. The fuel cell of claim 1, wherein the plates are constructed of conductive resin.
8. The fuel cell of claim 1, wherein the fiber bundles of each bipolar plate assembly are intersected by and connected to an electrically conductive substrate positioned within the bipolar plate.
9. The fuel cell of claim 8, wherein the fibers extending through each bipolar plate are separated by the substrate into anode fibers and cathode fibers.
10. The fuel cell of claim 8, wherein the substrate extends beyond the periphery of the bipolar plate.
11. An integrated PEM fuel cell, comprising:
at least two bipolar plate assemblies, each including:
a gas impermeable plate;
multiple electrically conductive fibers arranged in fiber bundles, including anode fibers extending from the plate on an anode side and cathode fibers extending from the plate on an opposite cathode side, said anode fibers and said cathode fibers being electrically connected,
each of said anode fibers and cathode fibers presenting fiber end portions transitioning to uncoated fiber brushes presenting fiber tips, wherein the uncoated fiber brushes comprise micro channels that increase in diameter from the portion of the fibers adjacent the fiber ends towards the fiber tips;
the anode side of one of the bipolar plate assemblies facing the cathode side of another bipolar plate assembly;
a membrane electrode assembly, including:
an anode catalyst support located on fiber tips of the anode fiber ends and an anode catalyst located on the anode catalyst support;
a cathode catalyst support located on fiber tips of the cathode fiber ends and a cathode catalyst located on the cathode catalyst support; and
a proton exchange membrane interconnecting the cathode catalyst support and the anode catalyst support.
12. The fuel cell of claim 11, wherein the fibers are formed as fiber blocks including continuous fiber in an adhesive matrix making the block impermeable.
13. The fuel cell of claim 12, wherein the fiber blocks are arranged to form flow paths for at least one of fuel and oxidant.
14. The fuel cell of claim 11, wherein the fibers in the fiber blocks are arranged in a woven fabric.
15. The fuel cell of claim 1, further comprising fibers shaped as hooks extending from each bipolar plate assembly and fibers arranged as loops incorporated in each membrane electrode assembly, said fiber hooks and fiber loops interconnecting.
16. A bipolar plate assembly for a fuel cell, comprising:
a gas impermeable plate and
multiple unidirectional electrically conductive fibers, each fiber having a first anode end and a second cathode end,
the fibers being grouped in longitudinal bundles extending perpendicular to the plate,
the anode ends on one side of the plate and the cathode ends on the other side of the plate,
each of the fibers being coated in a gas impermeable coating, the coating extending from the plate towards each of the fiber ends, a portion of the fibers adjacent the ends remaining uncoated, and
the fiber end portions transitioning to uncoated fiber brushes presenting fiber tips, wherein the uncoated fiber brushes comprise micro channels that increase in diameter from the portion of the fibers adjacent the fiber ends towards the fiber tips.
17. A membrane electrode assembly for a fuel cell, said assembly comprising:
multiple anode fiber ends and multiple cathode fiber ends facing each other;
the fiber ends transitioning to fiber brushes presenting fiber tips, wherein the uncoated fiber brushes comprise micro channels that increase in diameter from the portion of the fibers adjacent the fiber ends towards the fiber tips;
an anode catalyst support located on fiber tips of the anode fiber ends and an anode catalyst located on the anode catalyst support;
a cathode catalyst support located on fiber tips of the cathode fiber ends and a cathode catalyst located on the cathode catalyst support; and
a proton exchange membrane interconnecting the cathode catalyst support and the anode catalyst support.
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 multiple cylinder engine comprising:
a plurality of cylinders, each cylinder including a valve configured to open and close a port associated with each of the respective cylinders, the cylinders comprising at least a first cylinder group and a second cylinder group;
a drive shaft configured to rotate about an axis;
a plurality of valve actuators configured to transmit rotational movement of the drive shaft to the valves;
a change mechanism comprising a control member that is configured to change a transmission state of the rotational movement transmitted from the drive shaft to the valve actuators, the change mechanism configured to sequentially change an open period and a lift amount of each valve by changing a control amount of the control member;
wherein the control member is common to the first and second cylinder groups and wherein the transmission states for the first cylinder group differs from the transmission states of the second cylinder group in accordance with the control amount of the control member, and the valve open period and the lift amount of the valves in the first cylinder group is capable of being set to zero in a predetermined operational range to suspend operation of the first cylinder group.
2. The multiple cylinder engine according to claim 1,
wherein the drive shaft includes a camshaft driven by a crankshaft;
the valve actuator includes a rocker arm supported for swing movement;
the change mechanism includes a swing cam supported for swing movement to follow the camshaft, and a control arm positioned between the swing cam and the camshaft or the rocker arm and supported by the control member for swing movement, the control amount of the control member is varied to change a relative relationship between a position of control arm and a position of the camshaft or a position of swing cam so as to sequentially change the open period and the lift amount of the valve; and
wherein a cam surface of the swing cams has a shape which differs between the first and second cylinder groups, the cam surface of the swing cam for the first cylinder group is configured to bring the valve lift amount to zero when the control amount of the control member is in the predetermined range.
3. The multiple cylinder engine according to claim 2, wherein the control arm is positioned between the cam surface of the swing cam and the rocker arm, a relative relationship between a position of the control arm and a position of the cam surface is changed when a rotational angle of the control member is changed; thereby, the open period and the lift amount of said each valve is sequentially controllable.
4. The multiple cylinder engine according to claim 3, wherein the cam surface of the swing cam includes a base circle section and a lift section, the base circle section includes a circular arc which center is consistent with a center of the swing movement of the swing cam and makes the valve lift amount zero irrespective of a swing angle of the swing cam, the lift section increases the valve lift amount with the swing angle increasing, and the base circle section of the swing cams for first cylinder group has an angular range greater than the base circle section of the swing cams for the second cylinder group.
5. The multiple cylinder engine according to claim 4, wherein the lift section of the swing cams for the first cylinder group has a shape which becomes more similar to a shape of the lift section of the swing cams for the second cylinder group as the lift section of the swing cams for first cylinder group is spaced apart from a border thereof with the base circle towards the lift section.
6. The multiple cylinder engine according to claim 1, wherein
the drive shaft includes a camshaft driven by a crankshaft;
the valve actuator includes a rocker arm supported for swing movement;
the change mechanism includes a swing cam supported for swing movement to follow the camshaft, a control arm positioned between the swing cam and the camshaft or the rocker arm and supported by the control member for swing movement, the control amount of the control member is varied to change a relative relationship between a position of the control arm and a position of the camshaft or a position of the swing cam so as to sequentially change the open period and the lift amount of the valve;
a relative relationship between a position of the control arm and a position of the camshaft or a position of the swing cam differs from each other between the first and second cylinder group, the relative relationship for the first cylinder group is configured to bring the valve lift amount to zero when the control amount of the control member is in the predetermined range.
7. The multiple cylinder engine according to claim 6, wherein the control arm is coupled with the control member at a position which is out of a pivot center of the control member, a deviation amount of the control arm for the first cylinder group from the center of the control member is larger than a deviation amount of the control arm for the second cylinder group from the center of the control member, a contact portion at which the control arm for the first cylinder group contacts with a cam surface retreats toward a base circle section of the cam surface more than a contact portion at which the control arm for the second cylinder group contacts with an associated cam surface when the control member is in a predetermined angle range.
8. The multiple cylinder engine according to claim 7, wherein the control arm for the first cylinder group is shorter than the control arm for the second cylinder group, as the control arm leaves from the predetermined angle range further, the contact portion of the control shaft for the first cylinder group with the cam surface and the contact portion of the control arm for the second cylinder group with the cam surface approach closer to each.
9. A multiple cylinder engine comprising:
a plurality valves comprising a first group of valves and a second group of valves;
a drive shaft configured to rotate about an axis;
a plurality of valve actuators configured to transmit rotational movement of the drive shaft to the plurality of valves;
a plurality change mechanisms configured to change an open period or a lift amount of each of the valves by changing a control amount of a control member that is common to the plurality of change mechanisms, the control member configured to change a state of the rotational movement transmitted from the drive shaft to the valve actuators by changing the control amount of the control member;
wherein as the control amount of the control member is changed, the transmission states for the first group of valves differs from the second group of valves.
10. The multiple cylinder engine of claim 9, wherein as the control amount of the control member is changed, the valve open period and the lift amount of the first group of valves is set to zero.
11. The multiple cylinder engine of claim 9, wherein the first group of valves is associated with a first cylinder group and the second group of valves is associated with a second cylinder group.
12. The multiple cylinder engine of claim 11, wherein as the control amount of the control member is changed, the valve open period and the lift amount of the first group of valves is set to zero to suspend operation of the first cylinder group.
13. The multiple cylinder engine of claim 9, wherein:
the drive shaft includes a camshaft driven by a crankshaft;
the valve actuator includes a rocker arm supported for swing movement;
each of the plurality of change mechanisms includes a swing cam supported for swing movement to follow the camshaft, and a control arm positioned between the swing cam and the camshaft or the rocker arm and, the control arm is supported by the control member for swing movement, the control amount of the control member is varied to change a relative relationship between a position of control arm and a position of the camshaft or a position of the swing cam so as to sequentially change the open period and the lift amount of the valve.
14. The multiple valve engine of claim 13, wherein a cam surface of the swing cams for the change mechanism of the first group of valves has a shape which differs from a shape of a cam surface of the swing cams for the change mechanism of the second group of valves.
15. The multiple valve engine of claim 13, wherein the control arm is coupled to the control member at a position which is out of a pivot center of the control member, a deviation amount of the control arms for the change mechanism associated with the first group of valves being different than a deviation amount of the control arms for the change mechanism associated with the second group of valves.
16. A multiple cylinder engine comprising:
a plurality valves comprising a first group of valves and a second group of valves;
a drive shaft configured to rotate about an axis;
a plurality of valve actuators configured to transmit rotational movement of the drive shaft to the plurality of valves;
a plurality change mechanisms configured to change an open period and a lift amount of each of the valves by changing a control amount of a control member that is common to the plurality of change mechanisms; and
means for setting the open period and lift period of the first group of valves to zero in a predetermined operational range with the common control member while the open period and lift period of the second group of valves remain greater than zero.
17. The multiple cylinder engine as in claim 16, wherein the first group of valves are associated with a first group of cylinders and the second group of valves are associate with a second group of cylinders.
18. The multiple cylinder engine as in claim 17, wherein setting the open period and lift amount of the first group of valves to zero in the predetermined operational range suspends operation of the first group of cylinders.
19. A method of operating a multiple cylinder engine comprising:
during a first condition, adjusting with a plurality of valve drive mechanisms having a common control member an open period and a lift amount of a first group of valves and a second group of valves; and
during a second condition, actuating the common control member to change the open period and the lift amount of the first group of valves to zero while the open period and the lift amount of the second group of valves remains greater than zero.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein changing the open period and the lift amount of the first group of valves to zero suspends operation of a first group of cylinders associated with the first group of valves.