Electrolyte reservoir for a fuel cell

Abstract From the Canadian patent

An electrolyte reservoir layer disposed behind and adjacent one of the catalyst layers of a fuel cell is porous and hydrophilic to the electrolyte. In one embodiment the reservoir layer includes impregnations of hydrophobic material on the catalyst facing surface thereof and holes leading from the other surface to the impregnations for providing reactant gas passages through the reservoir layer to the catalyst layer. The impregnations of hydrophobic material are designed to provide good distribution of the reactant gas into the catalyst layer without consuming a large volume of the reservoir. In a preferred embodiment the reservoir is also the electrode substrate whereby the catalyst layer …