Fuel cells evaporatively cooled with water carried in passageways
US7504170B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 29, 2004 |
| Grant date | Mar 17, 2009 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 4, 2027 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02E60/50
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Fuel cells (38) have minute water passageways (67) that provide water through one or both reactant gas flow field plates (74, 82) of each fuel cell, whereby the fuel cell is cooled evaporatively. The water passageways (67; 78, 85; 78a, 85a) may be vented by a porous plug (69), or by a microvacuum pump (89) that does not pump any water from the passageways, or simply vented (99) to atmosphere. A condenser (59) may have a contiguous reservoir (64); the condenser (59) may be vertical, such as a vehicle radiator (FIG. 1), or may be horizontal, contiguous with the top of the fuel cell stack (37, FIG. 5). The passageways may be grooves (76, 77; 83, 84) in the reactant gas flow plates (75, 81) or the passageways may comprise a plane of porous hydrophilic material (78a, 85a) contiguous with substantially the entire surface of one or both of the reactant gas flow field plates.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.