Integrated fuel cell stack shunt current prevention arrangement

Patent · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1992

OSTI ID:868117

Roche, Robert P ^[1]; Nowak, Michael P ^[2]

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1. Cheshire, CT
2. Bolton, CT

A fuel cell stack includes a plurality of fuel cells juxtaposed with one another in the stack and each including a pair of plate-shaped anode and cathode electrodes that face one another, and a quantity of liquid electrolyte present at least between the electrodes. A separator plate is interposed between each two successive electrodes of adjacent ones of the fuel cells and is unified therewith into an integral separator plate. Each integral separator plate is provided with a circumferentially complete barrier that prevents flow of shunt currents onto and on an outer peripheral surface of the separator plate. This barrier consists of electrolyte-nonwettable barrier members that are accommodated, prior to the formation of the integral separator plate, in corresponding edge recesses situated at the interfaces between the electrodes and the separator plate proper. Each barrier member extends over the entire length of the associated marginal portion and is flush with the outer periphery of the integral separator plate. This barrier also prevents cell-to-cell migration of any electrolyte that may be present at the outer periphery of the integral separator plate while the latter is incorporated in the fuel cell stack.

• Research Organization: INTERNATIONAL FUEL CELLS CORP
• DOE Contract Number: AC21-88MC24221
• Assignee: International Fuel Cells (South Windsor, CT)
• Patent Number(s): US 5079104
• OSTI ID: 868117
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/429/
accommodated
adjacent
adjacent ones
anode
arrangement
associated
barrier
cathode
cathode electrode
cathode electrodes
cell
cell migration
cell stack
cell-to-cell
cells
circumferentially
complete
consists
corresponding
current
currents
edge
electrodes
electrolyte
electrolyte-nonwettable
entire
entire length
extends
flow
flush
formation
fuel
fuel cell
fuel cells
including
incorporated
integral
integral separator
integrated
interfaces
interposed
juxtaposed
latter
length
liquid
liquid electrolyte
marginal
migration
ones
outer
outer peripheral
outer periphery
pair
peripheral
peripheral surface
periphery
plate
plate-shaped
plurality
portion
prevention
prevents
prior
proper
provided
quantity
recesses
separator
separator plate
shaped anode
shunt
shunt current
situated
stack
successive
surface
therewith
unified