Fuel cell stack with novel cooling and gas distribution systems
US6124051A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 13, 1998 |
| Grant date | Sep 26, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 13, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02E60/50
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An electrochemical fuel cell stack is provided for converting a fuel reactant stream and an oxidant stream to a reaction product, heat, and electrical energy. The fuel cell stack includes manifolding endplates with a plurality of unit cells therebetween, each unit cell incorporating a smooth conductive cooling layer, and anode and cathode layers incorporating gas distribution layers formed of a central, porous, sheet material and a peripheral gasket material. The cooling layer conducts heat from distant regions of the unit cell to longitudinal cooling passages which run through the length of the stack defining a serial path through turnaround grooves in the faceplate and endplate. There is further provided a method for introducing reactant gases to the gas distribution layers. Longitudinal passages carry reactants the length of the stack and distribute gas through porous bridges to a lateral distribution channels formed along sides of the gas distribution layers, and through the gas distribution layers to exhaust. The layers of the unit cell are all relatively smooth and devoid of cooling channels.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.