Separator and fuel cell with the same

Abstract

Fuel cell comprising a membrane electrode assembly (10) and separators (50) arranged on both sides of the membrane electrode assembly, the fuel cell having: a conductive microporous body (60) formed on a reaction surface (53) of the separator (50) according to the membrane electrode arrangement (10) and configured to supply a reaction gas to the membrane electrode arrangement (10), wherein the separator (50) has inlet and outlet distributors (51, 52) to allow the reaction gas to flow in and out, and a channel unit (70) which is connected to the inlet distributor (51) and the outlet distributor (52) and is configured to direct a reaction gas to the reaction surface (53), wherein partition walls (80) which divide the microporous body (60) into several sections are formed at the reaction surface (53) of the separator (50), wherein the partitions (80) are formed in the form of grooves (81) on the side opposite the reaction surface (53) and project towards the reaction surface (53), and wherein the grooves (81) are formed as cooling channels (90) through which a coolant flows.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED REGISTRATION

[0001] This application claims the priority and benefits of Korean patent application No. 10-2014-0048240 (published as KR 10 2015 0121959 A), which was filed with the Korean Intellectual Property Office on April 22, 2014, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND(a) Field of invention

[0002] One embodiment of the present invention relates to a fuel cell stack of a fuel cell system. In particular, the present invention relates to a separator with a microporous structure and a fuel cell comprising the separator. (b) Description of the state of the art

[0003] As is known in the prior art, a fuel cell is composed of unit cells that generate electrical energy from an electrochemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen. Such a fuel cell can be constructed by arranging separators on both sides of a membrane electrode assembly (MEA). Reaction channels for supplying fuel and a reaction gas (e.g., air) to the MEA, and a cooling channel for conveying cooling water, are formed within the separators. A gas diffusion layer for diffusing the reaction gas is formed on both sides of the MEA.

[0004] To maximize fuel cell performance, the surface pressure (contact pressure) of the gas diffusion layers and the membrane electrode array requires uniformity. This is achieved by narrowing the distance / gap between the separator reaction channels, resulting in uniform permeability across the entire reaction surface of the gas diffusion layers. However, there is a limit to how much the distance between the reaction channels can be reduced to prevent various defects / defects that occur during the separator formation process. This practical limitation leads to the following factors that reduce fuel cell performance.

[0005] First, if the distance between the reaction channels is significant, pressure is exerted on the contact area between the separator and the gas diffusion layer. Consequently, the porous structure of the gas diffusion layer can break down, which can impair the permeability of the reaction gas and weaken its ability to diffuse the reaction gas and remove product water. Furthermore, since the stress is minimal in the area where the reaction channels are formed, the gas diffusion layer protrudes from the channel sections of the separator, which can further impair fluidity.

[0006] Secondly, because the structure of the gas diffusion layer is disrupted due to the concentration on the contact surface of the separator, carbon fibers can penetrate through the disrupted area to an electrode layer of the membrane electrode assembly, potentially damaging the electrode layer.

[0007] Thirdly, in the channel sections with the exposed gas diffusion layer, the reaction gas is supplied in sufficient quantity and an active chemical reaction can take place, but contact resistance may increase due to a lack of surface pressure between the gas diffusion layer and the membrane electrode arrangement, causing possible difficulties in the movement of electrons generated by the reaction.

[0008] To address the problems mentioned above, a shaped porous element with a three-dimensional (3D) porous structure created by forming channels, and a porous structure with micro-holes in a substantially thin metal plate, have been used in the prior art. Furthermore, a method for inserting a microporous structure to distribute contact pressure uniformly and improve the diffusion of reaction gas and removal of product water has been employed instead of a separator with reaction channels. Since a microporous structure, such as metal foam or metal mesh, exhibits a substantially large aperture ratio and distributes contact pressure, the gas diffusion layer can be compressed uniformly.

[0009] In these materials, the metal foam exhibits a significant number of interconnected bubbles within the metallic material, enabling it to conduct fluids. It also possesses a substantially high surface area-to-volume and strength-to-weight ratio, making it suitable for use as separator material in fuel cells. However, the most significant drawback of metal foam in the prior art is that the random interconnectedness of the internal bubbles makes it impossible to control the flow of reaction gas and product water, thus hindering efficient utilization of the entire reaction surface.

[0010] Furthermore, since a microporous structure is used for separators in the prior art, the pressure difference in the separators is essentially increased, thus increasing the parasitic power, increasing the volume of a fuel cell, and micropores can become clogged when the fuel cell is supersaturated with water (condensation), thereby reducing the operational reliability of the fuel cell.

[0011] From DE 697 06 065 T2, DE 10 2007 029 196 A1 and DE 103 00 068 A1, a fuel cell is known which comprises a membrane electrode arrangement and separators arranged on both sides of the membrane electrode arrangement, the fuel cell having: a conductive porous body formed on a reaction surface of the separator according to the membrane electrode arrangement and which is configured to supply a reaction gas to the membrane electrode arrangement, the separator having inlet and outlet distributors to allow the reaction gas to flow in and out, and a channel unit connected to the inlet distributor and the outlet distributor and configured to supply a reaction gas to the reaction surface.

[0012] DE 10 2007 052 ​​833 A1 discloses a solid polyelectrolyte membrane having a first side and an opposite second side; a first catalyst layer lying over the first side of the membrane; a first microporous layer lying over the first catalyst layer, wherein the first microporous layer has a plurality of microchannels formed therein, which are open towards the first catalyst layer; and wherein each of the microchannels of the first microporous layer is defined by a surface that is free of cracks.

[0013] The information disclosed above in this section is intended only to improve the understanding of the background of the invention and may therefore contain information that does not constitute the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art in this country. OVERVIEW

[0014] The object of the present invention is to provide a separator with an advantage for more uniform distribution of a reaction gas stream and enabling more stable operation of a fuel cell even in the event of external disturbances / impairments, such as a sudden inflow of water due to over-condensation of the water, and a fuel cell with the separator.

[0015] The problem is solved by a fuel cell with the features of claim 1 and a separator with the features of claim 7. Advantageous further developments are found in the dependent claims.

[0016] One embodiment of the present invention provides a separator for a fuel cell, arranged on both sides of a membrane electrode assembly and configured to supply a reaction gas to the membrane electrode assembly. The separator may comprise: a conductive microporous body formed on / at a reaction surface corresponding to the membrane electrode assembly; and a channel unit connected to an inlet manifold and an outlet manifold to allow the reaction gas to flow inwards and outwards, and to the reaction gas at the reaction surface. Partitions dividing the microporous body into several sections are formed at the reaction surface of the separator. These partitions are formed in the form of grooves on the side opposite the reaction surface and project towards the reaction surface. The grooves also serve as cooling channels through which a coolant flows.

[0017] Furthermore, the channel unit can form channels that widen from the inlet and outlet manifolds to the reaction surface. Additionally, the channel unit can form channels that connect from the inlet and outlet manifolds to the reaction surface. The channels can increase in length from one inlet and outlet manifold to the other and connect to the reaction surface. Ribs can also project between the channels.

[0018] Furthermore, the channel unit can form channels connected to the reaction surface from the inlet and outlet manifolds, and can form ribs between the channels. Partitions, which divide the microporous body into multiple sections, can be formed on / at the reaction surface. Additionally, the partitions can be connected to the ribs and can divide the reaction surface into multiple reaction zones. The partitions can also divide the channels into multiple channel groups, each connected to a specific reaction zone.

[0019] Another embodiment of the present invention provides a fuel cell that may comprise: a membrane electrode assembly; separators arranged on both sides of the membrane electrode assembly; and a conductive microporous body formed on / at a reaction surface of the separator corresponding to the membrane electrode assembly and configured to supply a reaction gas to the membrane electrode assembly, wherein the separator has inlet and outlet manifolds to allow the reaction gas to flow inwards and outwards (for example, in and out), and a channel unit connected to the inlet and outlet manifolds and configured to supply a reaction gas to the reaction surface. Furthermore, the separator has partitions formed on the reaction surface that divide the microporous body into several sections.The partitions are formed in the form of grooves on the side opposite the reaction surface and protrude towards the reaction surface, and the grooves are formed as cooling channels through which a coolant flows.

[0020] Furthermore, the channel unit can form channels that widen from the inlet and outlet manifolds to the reaction surface. The channels can increase in length from one inlet and outlet manifold to the other and can be connected to the reaction surface. The channel unit can also form ribs between the channels.

[0021] Furthermore, the partitions that divide the microporous body can be formed on / at the reaction surface of the separator. The partitions can be connected to the ribs and can divide the reaction surface into multiple reaction zones. The partitions can also divide the channels into several channel groups, each connected to a specific reaction zone.

[0022] According to one embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to distribute a reaction gas more uniformly to the microporous body of the reaction surface via the channel unit of the separator, thereby improving the performance of a fuel cell. Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the reaction surface of the separator can be divided into several reaction zones by the partitions, the microporous body can be divided into several parts within the reaction zones, and the channels of the channel unit can be divided into several channel groups, each connected to the reaction zones.

[0023] Accordingly, in one embodiment of the present invention, it may be possible to continuously and uniformly distribute reaction gases across the microporous body, maintaining more stable fuel cell performance even in the event of temporary external disturbances / influences, such as excessive inflow of condensate, and preventing stagnation of the reaction gas flow due to a partial concentration of product water generated by a reaction. Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present invention, since the grooves / slots forming the partitions can be used as cooling channels through which a coolant can flow, the efficiency of cooling a fuel cell can be increased. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] The drawings are provided for reference purposes in the description of exemplary embodiments of the present invention, and the teaching of the present invention should not be interpreted solely by reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. Figure 1 shows an exemplary sectional view of a section of a fuel cell according to an embodiment of the present invention; Fig. Figure 2 shows an exemplary view representing a separator for a fuel cell according to an embodiment of the present invention; Fig. Figure 3 shows an exemplary detailed view representing a section of the separator for a fuel cell according to an embodiment of the present invention; and Fig. 4 and Fig. Figure 5 shows exemplary graphs illustrating the operating effects of a fuel cell according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] It is understood that the term "vehicle" or "vehicle-" or other equivalent expressions as used herein include motor vehicles in general, such as passenger cars including sports utility vehicles (SUVs), buses, trucks, various utility vehicles, watercraft including a variety of boats and ships, aircraft and the like, and include hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, hydrogen-powered vehicles and other vehicles using alternative fuels (for example, fuel derived from sources other than petroleum). As referenced herein, a hybrid vehicle is a vehicle that has two or more sources of propulsion, such as both gasoline-powered and electric-powered vehicles.

[0026] The terminology used herein is intended for the purpose of describing certain embodiments and is not intended to limit the invention. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It is further understood that the expressions "possess" and / or "possessing," when used in this description, describe the presence of the specified features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. As used herein, the expression "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed elements.

[0027] The present invention is described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention. As the person skilled in the art would recognize, the described exemplary embodiments can be modified in various ways without departing from the teaching or scope of the present invention. Parts not related to the description of the exemplary embodiments are omitted for the sake of clarity, and identical reference numerals denote identical elements throughout the description. Furthermore, the sizes and thicknesses of the configurations / arrangements shown in the drawings are selectively chosen for the convenience of the description, so that the present invention is not limited to those shown in the drawings, and the thicknesses are exaggerated to clarify certain parts and areas.

[0028] Distinguishing components by referring to them as first, second, etc., in the following description serves to differentiate them for the same relationship between the components, and the components are not limited to the order in the following description. Furthermore, the terms "...unit," "...mechanism," "...section / part," "...element," etc., used herein signify that the units, including the components, perform at least one or more functions or operations.

[0029] Fig. Figure 1 shows an exemplary sectional view of a section of a fuel cell according to an embodiment of the present invention. With reference to Fig. 1 A fuel cell 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention can comprise unit cells, each of which can be configured to receive a hydrogen gas (for example, fuel) and an oxidation gas (for example, air) (hereinafter referred to as reaction gases), and can be configured to generate electrical energy using an electrochemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen.

[0030] Multiple fuel cell plates can be stacked sequentially in a fuel cell stack and can be configured to generate heat and condensate as reaction byproducts. For example, the fuel cell 100 can comprise a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) 10, gas diffusion layers 30 on both sides of the MEA 10, and separators 50 in close contact with (e.g., adjacent to / next to) the gas diffusion layers 30. The MEA 10 can be structured by forming an anode layer on one side of an electrolyte membrane and a cathode layer on the other side of the electrolyte membrane.

[0031] The anode layer can decompose a reaction gas (e.g., hydrogen gas) into electrons and protons by oxidizing the gas, and the electrolyte membrane can transfer the protons to the cathode layer. The cathode layer can generate water and heat by deoxidizing the electrons and protons from the anode layer and a separately supplied reaction gas (e.g., air). The gas diffusion layers 30 for diffusing the reaction gas, which is supplied to the anode and cathode layers of the membrane electrode assembly via the separators 50, can be electrically conductive and can be formed on the anode and cathode layers. The separators 50 for supplying a reaction gas to the membrane electrode assembly 10 via the diffusion layers 30 can be made of an electrically conductive material.

[0032] An inlet distributor 51 and an outlet distributor 52 for a reaction gas, allowing it to flow inwards and outwards, can be formed at the edges of both sides of the separator 50. The separator 50 can have a reaction surface 53 corresponding to the gas diffusion layer 30 and can be connected to the inlet distributor 51 and the outlet distributor 52. Although the fuel cell 100 with the gas diffusion layers has been described according to an embodiment of the present invention, the present invention is not limited to the foregoing description and can be applied to the fuel cell with the exception of the gas diffusion layers. In the following description, the fuel cell 100 with the gas diffusion layers 30 is described as an example.

[0033] The separator 50 for a fuel cell according to an embodiment of the present invention has a structure that is able to distribute surface pressure (contact pressure) more evenly on the membrane electrode arrangement 10 and improve the ability to diffuse a reaction gas and to remove product water. Furthermore, an embodiment of the present invention provides a separator 50 for a fuel cell that enables more stable operation of a fuel cell even in the presence of external disturbances / influences, such as an inflow of water due to over-condensation.

[0034] Fig. Figure 2 shows an exemplary view representing a separator for a fuel cell according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. Figure 3 shows an exemplary detailed view representing a section of the separator for a fuel cell according to an embodiment of the present invention. With reference to Fig. 1 to 3, a separator 50 for a fuel cell according to an embodiment of the present invention can comprise a microporous body 60 and a channel unit 70.

[0035] In one embodiment of the present invention, the microporous body 60 can be configured to supply a reaction gas to the membrane electrode assembly 10 through the gas diffusion layer 30 and can be formed on the reaction surface 53 described above. The microporous body 60 can be a metal foam with a predetermined aperture ratio (referred to in this field as "porosity"). For example, the microporous body 60 can be made of a material selected from silver, copper, gold, aluminum, tungsten, zinc metal, and metal alloys exhibiting high electrical conductivity. Since the metal material of the microporous body 60 can contain a plurality of interconnected bubbles, a reaction gas and product water can flow through the microporous body 60, increasing the surface area to volume ratio and the strength.

[0036] In one embodiment of the present invention, the channel unit 70 can be configured to distribute a reaction gas flow more evenly to the microporous body 60 of the reaction surface 53 and to prevent partial concentration of product water generated by a reaction and stagnation of the reaction gas flow due to concentration. The channel unit 70 can be configured to direct the reaction gas flowing into the inlet distributor 51 to the microporous body 60 of the reaction surface 53 and to allow the reaction gas, having flowed through the microporous body 60, to flow to the outlet distributor 52. The channel unit 70 can be connected to the inlet distributor 51 and the outlet distributor 52 and can include channels 71 connected to the reaction surface 53.

[0037] The channels can have a shape that widens towards the reaction surface 53 from the inlet manifold 51 and the outlet manifold 52, and can be formed between the inlet manifold 51 and the reaction surface 53, or between the outlet manifold 52 and the reaction surface 53. For example, the channels 71 can have a shape with increasing length from the first to the second sides of the inlet manifold 51 and the outlet manifold 52 and can be connected to the reaction surface 53. Furthermore, ribs 73 can be formed to project between the channels 71 and can have a shape with increasing length from the first to the second sides of the inlet manifold 51 and the outlet manifold 52.The separator 50 for a fuel cell according to an embodiment of the present invention can further comprise partition walls 80 which are formed on the reaction surfaces 53 and which divide the microporous body 60 into several sections.

[0038] In one embodiment of the present invention, the partitions 80 can be formed in the form of grooves 81 on the side opposite the reaction surface 53, project towards the reaction surface 53, and widen from the inlet distributor 51 to the outlet distributor 52. In other words, the partitions 80 can project onto the reaction surface 53, divide the reaction surface 53 into several reaction areas 55, and divide the microporous body 60 into a plurality of parts 61 in the reaction areas 55.

[0039] The reaction areas 55 can be connected to the channels 71 at the inlet distributor 51 and the outlet distributor 52, and the partitions 80 can be connected to the ribs 73 of the channel unit 70. In other words, the partitions 80 can be connected to the ribs 73 of the channel unit 70 at the inlet distributor 51 and to the ribs 73 of the channel unit 70 at the outlet distributor 52. Consequently, the partitions can divide the channels 71 of the channel unit 70 into several channel groups 75, each of which is connected to the reaction areas 55.

[0040] The partitions 80 can be formed in the form of grooves 81 on the side opposite the reaction surface 53, as described above, and the grooves 81 can form cooling channels 90 through which a coolant can flow when the fuel cells 100 are stacked. In other words, when a fuel cell stack is formed by stacking a plurality of plates of fuel cells 100, the sides opposite the reaction surfaces 53 of the separator 50 can be in close contact with each other (for example, adjacent / next to each other), and the grooves 81 on the opposite sides can be connected / combined to form the cooling channel 90. The operation of the fuel cell 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, which has the configuration described above, is described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[0041] In one embodiment of the present invention, a first reaction gas (e.g., hydrogen gas) can be supplied to the inlet distributor 51 of a first separator 50, and a second reaction gas (e.g., air) can be supplied to the inlet distributor 51 of a second separator 50. The reaction gases can diffuse through the channels 71 of the channel unit 70 and be directed to the reaction surfaces 53 of the separators 50, and then flow uniformly into the microporous bodies 60 of the reaction surfaces 53. Alternatively, the reaction gases can diffuse through the channel groups 75 of the channels and be directed to the reaction areas 55 of the reaction surfaces 53, which are subdivided by the partitions 80, to allow the reaction gases to flow more uniformly into the portions 61 of the microporous bodies 60 that are subdivided in the reaction areas 55.

[0042] The reaction gases (for example, hydrogen gas and air) can diffuse through the gas diffusion layer 30 and be supplied to the anode layer and the cathode layer of the membrane electrode arrangement 10, respectively. Electrical energy can be generated by an electrochemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen at the anode and cathode layers, thus producing heat and product water, which is condensate. The reaction gases flowing through the parts 61 of the microporous body 60 can be discharged to the outlet distributor 52 through the channels 71 of the channel unit 70. The heat generated by the electrochemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen in an embodiment of the present invention as described above can be dissipated by a coolant flowing through the cooling channels 90 between the separators 50 of adjacent fuel cells 100.

[0043] As described above, according to the fuel cell 100 of an embodiment of the present invention, a reaction gas can be distributed more uniformly to the microporous body 60 of the reaction surface 53 by the channel unit 70 of the separator 50. Furthermore, in an embodiment of the present invention, the reaction surface 53 of the separator 50 can be divided into several reaction areas 55 by the partitions 80, the microporous body 60 can be divided into several parts 61 in the reaction areas 55, and the channels 71 of the channel unit 70 can be divided into several channel groups 75, each of which is connected to the reaction areas 55.

[0044] Accordingly, in one embodiment of the present invention, it may be possible to continuously and uniformly distribute reaction gases across the microporous body 60, maintaining more stable fuel cell performance even in the event of sudden external disturbances / impairments, such as excessive inflow of condensate, and preventing stagnation of the reaction gas flow due to a partial concentration of product water generated by a reaction. Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present invention, since the grooves 81 forming the partitions 80 can be used as cooling channels 90 through which a coolant flows, the efficiency of cooling a fuel cell can be increased.

[0045] The operational effects of the fuel cell 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention are described below with reference to Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 described. Fig. Figure 4 shows a graph representing the results of testing a fuel cell according to a comparative example of the prior art in which only a microporous body was provided, a fuel cell according to a first embodiment of the present invention in which a microporous body and a channel unit were provided, and a fuel cell according to a second embodiment of the present invention in which a microporous body, a channel unit and partitions were provided.

[0046] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 4, the power of the fuel cell increased by 15% in the section with maximum power in the first embodiment of the present invention compared to the comparison example, and the power of the fuel cell increased by 20% in the section with maximum power in the second embodiment of the present invention compared to the comparison example.

[0047] Fig. Figure 5 shows an exemplary graph illustrating test results of cell operational stability in the comparative example and the second embodiment of the present invention. As in Fig. As shown in Figure 5, when comparing the behavior of cell voltage in the comparative example and the second embodiment, in which condensation flowed inwards from the outside of the cell under constant load in the fuel cell, a more stable behavior of the cell is shown in the second embodiment of the present invention than in the comparative example, since the condensation flows more evenly into the cell from the outside and a sudden drop in cell voltage is reduced. Description of reference symbols 10... Membrane electrode arrangement 30... Gas diffusion layer 50... Separator 51... Inlet distributor 52... exhaust distributor 53... reaction surface 55... reaction range 60... Microporous body 61... Part 70... Channel unit 71... Channel 73... rib 75... Channel group 80... partition wall 81... Groove / groove 90... Cooling channel

Claims

[1] Fuel cell comprising a membrane electrode assembly (10) and separators (50) arranged on both sides of the membrane electrode assembly, the fuel cell having: a conductive microporous body (60) formed on a reaction surface (53) of the separator (50) according to the membrane electrode arrangement (10) and configured to supply a reaction gas to the membrane electrode arrangement (10), wherein the separator (50) has inlet and outlet distributors (51, 52) to allow the reaction gas to flow in and out, and a channel unit (70) which is connected to the inlet distributor (51) and the outlet distributor (52) and is configured to direct a reaction gas to the reaction surface (53), wherein partition walls (80) which divide the microporous body (60) into several sections are formed at the reaction surface (53) of the separator (50), wherein the partitions (80) are formed in the form of grooves (81) on the side opposite the reaction surface (53) and project towards the reaction surface (53), and wherein the grooves (81) are formed as cooling channels (90) through which a coolant flows. [2] Fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the channel unit (70) forms channels (71) which widen from the inlet distributor (51) and the outlet distributor (52) to the reaction surface (53). [3] Fuel cell according to claim 2, wherein the channels (71) from one of the inlet distributor (51) and the outlet distributor (52) to the other have an increase in length and are connected to the reaction surface (53). [4] Fuel cell according to claim 2, wherein the channel unit (70) forms ribs (73) between the channels (71). [5] Fuel cell according to claim 4, wherein partitions (80) dividing the microporous body (60) into several sections are formed on the reaction surface (53) of the separator (50) and the partitions (80) are connected to the ribs (73) and divide the reaction surface (53) into several reaction areas (55). [6] Fuel cell according to claim 5, wherein the partitions (80) divide the channels (71) into several channel groups (75), each of which is connected to the reaction areas (55). [7] Separator (50) for a fuel cell, which is arranged on both sides of a membrane electrode assembly (10) and is configured to supply a reaction gas to the membrane electrode assembly (10), the separator (50) comprising: a conductive microporous body (60) formed on a reaction surface (53) corresponding to the membrane electrode arrangement (10); a channel unit (70) which is connected to an inlet distributor (51) and an outlet distributor (52) through which the reaction gas flows and is configured to direct the reaction gas to the reaction surface (53); and Partition walls (80) formed at the reaction surface (53) that divide the microporous body (60) into several sections, wherein the partitions (80) are formed in the form of grooves (81) on the side opposite the reaction surface (53) and project towards the reaction surface (53), and wherein the grooves (81) are formed as cooling channels (90) through which a coolant flows. [8] Separator (50) according to claim 7, wherein the channel unit (70) comprises channels (71) widening from the inlet distributor (51) and the outlet distributor (52) to the reaction surface (53). [9] Separator (50) according to claim 7, wherein: the channel unit (70) forms channels (71) which are connected from the inlet distributor (51) and the outlet distributor (52) to the reaction surface (53), and the channels (71) from one of the inlet distributors (51) and the outlet distributor (52) to the other have an increase in length and are connected to the reaction surface (53). [10] Separator (50) according to claim 9, wherein ribs (73) protrude between the channels (71). [11] Separator (50) according to claim 7, wherein: the channel unit (70) forms channels (71) which are connected from the inlet distributor (52) and the outlet distributor (52) to the reaction surface (53), and forms ribs (73) between the channels (71), Partition walls (80) that divide the microporous body (60) into several sections are formed at the reaction surface (53), and the partition walls (80) are connected to the ribs (73) and divide the reaction surface (53) into several reaction areas (55). [12] Separator (50) according to claim 11, wherein the partitions (80) divide the channels (71) into several channel groups (75), each of which is connected to the reaction areas (55). [13] Vehicle comprising the fuel cell system according to claim 1, comprising a membrane electrode arrangement (10) and separators (50) arranged on both sides of the membrane electrode arrangement (10). [14] Vehicle comprising the separator (50) for a fuel cell according to claim 7, which is arranged on both sides of a membrane electrode arrangement (10) and is configured to supply a reaction gas to the membrane electrode arrangement (10).

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