Annular feed air breathing fuel cell stack

Patent · 01 January 1996

OSTI ID:870404

Wilson, Mahlon S ^[1]

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1. Los Alamos, NM

A stack of polymer electrolyte fuel cells is formed from a plurality of unit cells where each unit cell includes fuel cell components defining a periphery and distributed along a common axis, where the fuel cell components include a polymer electrolyte membrane, an anode and a cathode contacting opposite sides of the membrane, and fuel and oxygen flow fields contacting the anode and the cathode, respectively, wherein the components define an annular region therethrough along the axis. A fuel distribution manifold within the annular region is connected to deliver fuel to the fuel flow field in each of the unit cells. In a particular embodiment, a single bolt through the annular region clamps the unit cells together. In another embodiment, separator plates between individual unit cells have an extended radial dimension to function as cooling fins for maintaining the operating temperature of the fuel cell stack.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• Assignee: Regents of University of California, Office of Technology (Alameda, CA)
• Patent Number(s): US 5514486
• OSTI ID: 870404
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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air
air breathing
annular
annular feed
annular region
anode
axis
bolt
breathing
breathing fuel
cathode
cell
cell component
cell components
cell stack
cells
clamps
common
common axis
components
components define
components defining
connected
contacting
cooling
cooling fins
define
defining
deliver
dimension
distributed
distribution
distribution manifold
electrolyte
electrolyte fuel
electrolyte membrane
embodiment
extended
feed
feed air
field
fields
fins
flow
flow field
flow fields
formed
fuel
fuel cell
fuel cells
fuel distribution
fuel flow
function
individual
maintaining
manifold
membrane
operating
operating temperature
opposite
oxygen
particular
particular embodiment
periphery
plates
plurality
polymer
polymer electrolyte
radial
radial dimension
region
respectively
separator
separator plate
separator plates
single
stack
temperature
therethrough
unit
unit cell
unit cells