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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Fuel cell separator plate with bellows-type sealing flanges

Patent ·
OSTI ID:865946

A fuel cell separator includes a rectangular flat plate having two unitary upper sealing flanges respectively comprising opposite marginal edges of the plate folded upwardly and back on themselves and two lower sealing flanges respectively comprising the other two marginal edges of the plate folded downwardly and back on themselves. Each of the sealing flanges includes a flat wall spaced from the plate and substantially parallel thereto and two accordion-pleated side walls, one of which interconnects the flat wall with the plate and the other of which stops just short of the plate, these side walls affording resilient compressibility to the sealing flange in a directiongenerally normal to the plane of the plate. Four corner members close the ends of the sealing flanges. An additional resiliently compressible reinforcing member may be inserted in the passages formed by each of the sealing flanges with the plate.

Research Organization:
International Fuel Cells Corp., South Windsor, CT (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
AC01-79ET15440
Assignee:
The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy (Washington, DC)
Patent Number(s):
4,604,331
Application Number:
06/614,505
OSTI ID:
865946
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English