摘要:
A separator plate for a fuel cell is provided including a first support element and a series of second support elements extending from a first surface of the plate. A series of apertures are disposed between the first support element and the series of second support elements for communicating a reactant gas therethrough for delivery to a flow field of the separator plate.
摘要:
Clearance gaps in the inactive feed regions of a fuel cell stack are controlled by non-bonded, non-nested bipolar plates to provide reactant flow uniformity and pressure within fuel cells and fuel cell stacks utilizing nested bipolar plates in the active feed regions and non-nested bipolar plates in the inactive feed regions.
摘要:
A device and method are provided to allow the flowpaths in a fuel cell stack to be reconfigured dependent on reactant gas throughput in order to maintain appropriate pressure drop, sufficient velocities, and reactant concentrations of each cell of a fuel cell stack.
摘要:
The present invention discloses a stamped bridge member that defines a flow path between a header and a flow field on a fuel cell plate. The bridge member provides a support surface on which a seal can be positioned to seal the plate against adjacent plates or MEAs. The fuel cell plates can be stamped plates with two surfaces each having flow fields thereon. The flow fields maintain a fluid flowing between a supply header and a return header on a single surface of the plate. The ends of the flow fields can taper relative to the supply and return apertures to provide for a desired flow distribution through the flow field.
摘要:
A fuel cell in a fuel cell stack that provides a transition from nested bipolar plates in the active region of the stack to non-nested bipolar plates in the inactive regions of the stack without giving up the reduced stack thickness provided by the nested plates or changing the size of the flow channels. Particularly, the diffusion media layers in the fuel cells are removed in the inactive regions where the bipolar plates are non-nested so that the volume necessary to maintain the size of the flow channels is provided without the need to increase the distance between adjacent MEAs. A thin shim can be provided between the membranes and the plates in the inactive regions to support the membrane where the diffusion media layer has been removed to prevent the membrane from intruding into the flow channels and blocking the reactive flow.
摘要:
A diffusion media for use in a PEM fuel cell which includes a relieved edge region relative to the interior region of the diffusion media. The outer perimeter or portion of the diffusion media that will interface with a sealing gasket is pre-compressed. The pre-compressed diffusion media lowers the compression stress on the MEA at the gasket interfaces, enabling a more uniform compression on the entirety of the MEA surfaces during the build, compression, and later operation of a fuel cell stack.
摘要:
A hydrogen fuel cell stack has at least two segments of fuel cells each having reactant gas passages. The reactant gas passages of each fuel cell in each segment are arranged in parallel with each other. Flow of fuel cell fluids is in a gravity assisted downward direction. Gravity assisted flow directs water formed in each cell to lower removal points of the stack segments. Adjacent segments are separated by either a separator segment formed as an integral unit with the stack or the segments are joined and an external piping system directs flow to differing stack areas. A cathode flow enters at a first stack end and a hydrogen anode flow enters the stack at an opposite end, such that cathode and anode flows are counter-current to each other. A coolant flow is normally injected adjacent to and flows parallel with the cathode flow, but can also be directed by the piping system to any or all segments in series or parallel.
摘要:
A seal configuration is provided for a fuel cell stack, including a first bipolar plate and a second bipolar plate, each disposed on opposite sides of a membrane electrode assembly. The seal configuration includes a first sub-gasket adhered to a recess region of the first bipolar plate and a second sub-gasket adhered to a recess region of the second bipolar plate wherein the first and second sub-gaskets are disposed on opposite sides of the membrane electrode assembly. A seal member is disposed in the recessed regions of the first and second bipolar plates and between the first and second sub-gaskets. The seal configuration minimizes the size of the bypass regions around the seal perimeter and provide better control of the positions of all components during assembly of the fuel cell stack. The approach also reduces sensitivity to ambient relative humidity variations and reduces manufacturing costs by eliminating the need for humidity control in the production area.
摘要:
The present invention isolates the fluid streams flowing into and out of a fuel cell stack from the terminal plates so that the fluid streams and terminal plates do not come into contact with one another. The prevention of the fluid streams from contacting the terminal plate eliminates corrosion concerns associated with the terminal plate. The present invention accomplishes this isolation through the use of headers having fluid passageways therein that route the fluid streams in and/or out of the fuel cell stack while preventing contact between the fluid streams and the terminal plate.
摘要:
A bipolar plate for use in a fuel cell stack includes a first plate having a first coolant face with a first set of coolant channels formed therein. A second plate has a second coolant face with a second set of coolant channels formed therein. The first and second coolant faces are adjacent to one another to intermittently cross-link the first and second sets of coolant channels over a region of the first and second coolant faces.