Water and heat management in solid polymer fuel cell stack

Patent · Tue May 02 04:00:00 EDT 1989

OSTI ID:6055580

Reiser, C A

A stack of solid polymer fuel cells is described, the stack comprising: (a) a plurability of fuel cells stacked one atop the other and each comprising a solid polymer electrolyte membrane; a hydrogen flow field plate on an anode side of the membrane and an oxygen flow field plate on a cathode side of the membrane, each of the oxygen flow field plate being permeable to water flow; (b) porous gas sealing plate means forming a water filled barrier to reactant gas passage, the barrier surrounding each of the oxygen flow field plates and abutting marginal edges of the latter; (c) the oxygen flow field plates being operable to remove water from a surface of porous carbonized wetproofed paper sheets abutting the cathode surface of the membranes, and being operable by reason of oxygen reactant pressure to pass the removed water into the porous gas sealing plate means; and (d) water passageway means in the stack communicating with all of the porous gas sealing plate means and operable to duct water from the porous gas sealing plate means to an end of the stack for removal therefrom.

• Assignee: International Fuel Cells Corp., South Windsor, CT
• Patent Number(s): US 4826742
• OSTI ID: 6055580
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION
300501 -- Fuel Cells-- Design & Development
300503* -- Fuel Cells-- Materials
Components
& Auxiliaries
CONTROL
DESIGN
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS
ELECTRODES
ELECTROLYTES
FUEL CELLS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLYMERS
SOLID ELECTROLYTES
TEMPERATURE CONTROL
WATER