Fully internal manifolded fuel cell stack
A fuel cell stack is described comprising a plurality of fuel cell units, each unit comprising an anode and a cathode, an electrolyte, and a separator plate separating said cell units between an anode and cathode forming an anode chamber and forming a cathode chamber, said anode chamber in gas communication with fuel gas supply and outlet and said cathode chamber in gas communication with oxidant gas supply and outlet the improvement comprising; said electrolytes and said separator plates extending to the peripheral edge of said fuel cell stack, said separator plates having a flattened peripheral wet seal structure extending to contact less than about 1 inch width of said electrolytes on each face of said separator plates completely around their periphery forming a peripheral wet seal less than about 1 inch width under cell operating conditions, said electrolytes and said separator plates each having a plurality of aligned perforations said perforations in said separator plates being surrounded by a flattened manifold wet seal structure extending to contact less than about 1 inch width of said electrolyte on each face of said separator plate forming a manifold wet seal less thin about 1 inch width under cell operating conditions to form a plurality of gas manifolds extending through said cell stack, conduits through said extended manifold wet seal structure providing fuel gas communication between one set of said manifolds and said anode chambers on one face of said separator plates and conduits through said extended manifold wet seal structure providing oxidant gas communication between a second set of said manifolds and said cathode chambers on the other face of said separator plates, thereby providing fully internal manifolding of fuel and oxidant gases to and from each said unit fuel cell in said fuel cell stack.
- Assignee:
- Institute of Gas Technology, Chicago, IL (United States)
- Patent Number(s):
- A; US 5227256
- Application Number:
- PPN: US 7-724422
- OSTI ID:
- 6274899
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
300501* -- Fuel Cells-- Design & Development
300503 -- Fuel Cells-- Materials
Components
& Auxiliaries
ANODES
CATHODES
DESIGN
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS
ELECTRODES
ELECTROLYTES
FLUIDS
FUEL CELLS
FUEL GAS
FUELS
GAS FUELS
GASES
OPERATION
OXIDIZERS
SEALS
SEPARATION EQUIPMENT