Abstract:
A fuel cell stack includes a first separating plate, a second separating plate corresponding to the first separating plate, a plurality of cells comprising a membrane electrode assembly disposed between the first separating plate and the second separating plate, and a cooling plate disposed between the plurality of cells, where a cooling channel is defined at opposing surfaces of the cooling plate.
Abstract:
A fuel cell stack includes a plurality of unit cells, a cooling plate and a block plate. Each unit cell includes a cathode electrode and an anode electrode respectively at opposing sides of an electrolyte membrane, and a separator facing each of the cathode electrode and the anode electrode. The cooling plate is between adjacent unit cells a cooling medium flows in the cooling plate. The block plate is between the cooling plate and an adjacent unit cell of the adjacent unit cells. The block plate blocks the cooling medium flowing in the cooling plate from contacting the adjacent unit cell of the adjacent unit cells.
Abstract:
A method of activating a fuel cell includes: supplying a fuel to an anode of the fuel cell; supplying a gas mixture to a cathode of the fuel cell; applying a second load, which is equal to or less than a predetermined first load, to a stack of the fuel cell after supplying the gas mixture to the cathode; discontinuing the supply of the gas mixture; resupplying the gas mixture to the cathode when a voltage of the stack of the fuel cell is a predetermined voltage or less after discontinuing the supply of the gas mixture; and applying a third load, which is higher than the predetermined first load, to the stack of the fuel cell, where the supply of the fuel to the anode of the fuel cell is maintained.
Abstract:
A fluid tube includes: a first fluid tube; a second fluid tube connected to the first fluid tube; and a flow velocity equalizer in the second fluid tube, where the flow velocity equalizer increases a uniformity of fluid flow passed therethrough, the second fluid tube is wider than the first fluid tube, and the flow velocity equalizer includes a diverging tube and a converging tube. The fluid tube may further include a fluid divider between the flow velocity equalizer and the first fluid tube. The diverging tube of the flow velocity equalizer may have a width increasing in a fluid flow direction, and the converging tube of the flow velocity equalizer may include a plurality of converging tubes having widths decreasing in the fluid flow direction.
Abstract:
A fuel cell stack includes a stack including a plurality of unit cells, which is stacked on one another in a predetermined direction, first and second end plates disposed on opposing ends of the stack, and a supply line disposed on a first surface of the first end plate to supply fuel or air to the plurality of unit cells, where an insertion hole is defined in a second surface of the first end plate to be adjacent to the supply line, and the second surface of the first end plate is substantially perpendicular to the first surface of the first end plate.
Abstract:
A fuel cell stack includes a membrane electrode assembly, plates on the membrane electrode assembly, and gaskets between the plates, where the membrane electrode assembly includes an electrolyte membrane-electrode including an electrolyte membrane between first and second electrodes thereof, and gas diffusion layers in contact with the first and second electrodes, where the gaskets are in contact with the plates and surround the membrane electrode assembly, where a ratio of change in compressibility of the gaskets is in a range from 0.5 times to 1.5 times a ratio of change in compressibility of the gas diffusion layers at a same compressibility, where a compressibility is a ratio of a reduced thickness to an initial thickness, and where the ratio of change in compressibility is defined by Equation 1 below: Ratio of change in compressibility=ΔP/Δt, where ΔP denotes a pressure change, and Δt denotes a thickness change.