Fuel cell cooler-humidifier plate

Patent · Fri Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1999

OSTI ID:873008

Vitale, Nicholas G ^[1]; Jones, Daniel O ^[2]

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1. Albany, NY
2. Glenville, NY

A cooler-humidifier plate for use in a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell stack assembly is provided. The cooler-humidifier plate combines functions of cooling and humidification within the fuel cell stack assembly, thereby providing a more compact structure, simpler manifolding, and reduced reject heat from the fuel cell. Coolant on the cooler side of the plate removes heat generated within the fuel cell assembly. Heat is also removed by the humidifier side of the plate for use in evaporating the humidification water. On the humidifier side of the plate, evaporating water humidifies reactant gas flowing over a moistened wick. After exiting the humidifier side of the plate, humidified reactant gas provides needed moisture to the proton exchange membranes used in the fuel cell stack assembly. The invention also provides a fuel cell plate that maximizes structural support within the fuel cell by ensuring that the ribs that form the boundaries of channels on one side of the plate have ends at locations that substantially correspond to the locations of ribs on the opposite side of the plate.

• Research Organization: FORD MOTOR CO
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-94CE50389
• Assignee: Plug Power Inc. (Latham, NY)
• Patent Number(s): US 6066408
• OSTI ID: 873008
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/429/
assembly
boundaries
cell
cell assembly
cell cooler
cell plate
cell stack
channels
combines
compact
compact structure
coolant
cooler
cooler-humidifier
cooler-humidifier plate
cooling
correspond
ensuring
evaporating
exchange
exchange membrane
exchange membranes
exiting
flowing
form
fuel
fuel cell
functions
gas
gas flow
gas flowing
generated
heat
heat generated
humidification
humidified
humidifier
humidifies
locations
manifolding
maximizes
membrane
membranes
moistened
moisture
opposite
pem
plate
proton
proton exchange
provided
provides
providing
reactant
reactant gas
reduced
reject
removed
removes
ribs
simpler
stack
stack assembly
structural
structural support
structure
substantially
support
water
wick