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Coolant flow field design for fuel cell stacks

A technology of fuel cell and coolant flow, which is applied in the direction of fuel cell additives, fuel cell components, fuel cells, etc., and can solve problems such as insufficient cooling, supercooling, etc., to reduce costs, optimize reactions, and increase the overall system efficiency effect

Inactive Publication Date: 2005-08-03
GENERAL MOTORS COMPANY
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
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Problems solved by technology

However, most bipolar plates (as well as unipolar end plates) have a coolant flow field configured to provide a consistent coolant flow rate across the plate assembly, thus overcooling some areas of the fuel cell while others not cooling enough

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  • Coolant flow field design for fuel cell stacks
  • Coolant flow field design for fuel cell stacks
  • Coolant flow field design for fuel cell stacks

Examples

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Embodiment Construction

[0022] The following description of preferred embodiments is exemplary in nature only and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application or uses.

[0023] Before further describing the present invention, it is instructive to understand an exemplary fuel cell system to which the present invention pertains. In particular, FIG. 1 schematically depicts a PEM fuel cell stack having a pair of membrane electrode assemblies (MEA) 4 and 6 separated from each other by a non-porous, electrically conductive, liquid-cooled bipolar plate assembly 8 . Each MEA 4 and 6 has a respective cathode face 4a, 6a and an anode face 4b and 6b. MEAs 4 and 6 and bipolar plate assembly 8 are stacked between non-porous, electrically conductive, liquid-cooled monopolar plate assemblies 14 and 16 . Steel splints 10 and 12 are used to encapsulate the exemplary fuel cell stack. Connectors (not shown) are attached to the clamping plates 10 and 12 to provide positive and negative terminals for t...

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Abstract

A bipolar plate assembly is provided for use in a fuel cell stack to supply reactants to the anode and cathode sides of fuel cells within the stack. The bipolar plate assembly includes first and second sub-plates, each including a first face surface having a coolant flow field formed therein and a second face surface having a reactant flow field formed therein. The coolant fields of the first and second sub-plates include regions of varying flow volume, having respective flow resistance therebetween. The regions of varying flow volume enable variable cooling across the fuel cell stack, thereby enabling a constant temperature to be achieved across the fuel cell stack.

Description

technical field [0001] The present invention relates generally to PEM fuel cells, and more particularly to bipolar plates used to separate adjacent fuel cells in a fuel cell stack. Background technique [0002] Fuel cells are already used as energy sources in many applications. For example, fuel cells have been proposed for use in electric vehicle powerplants to replace internal combustion engines. In proton exchange membrane (PEM) type fuel cells, hydrogen is supplied to the anode of the fuel cell and oxygen is supplied as an oxidant to the cathode. A PEM fuel cell includes a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) comprising a thin, proton-transporting, non-conducting, solid polymer electrolyte membrane with an anode catalyst on one side and a cathode catalyst on the opposite side. The MEA is sandwiched between a pair of non-porous, electrically conductive elements or plates that (1) transfer electrons from the anode of a fuel cell to the cathode of an adjacent cell in a fuel ...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Applications(China)
IPC IPC(8): H01M8/02H01M8/04H01M8/10
CPCY02E60/50H01M8/04074H01M8/0202H01M8/04029
Inventor J·H·李
Owner GENERAL MOTORS COMPANY
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