Fuel cell with metal screen flow-field

Patent · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 2001

OSTI ID:873627

Wilson, Mahlon S ^[1]; Zawodzinski, Christine ^[1]

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1. Los Alamos, NM

A polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell is provided with electrodes supplied with a reactant on each side of a catalyzed membrane assembly (CMA). The fuel cell includes a metal mesh defining a rectangular flow-field pattern having an inlet at a first corner and an outlet at a second corner located on a diagonal from the first corner, wherein all flow paths from the inlet to the outlet through the square flow field pattern are equivalent to uniformly distribute the reactant over the CMA. In a preferred form of metal mesh, a square weave screen forms the flow-field pattern. In a particular characterization of the present invention, a bipolar plate electrically connects adjacent fuel cells, where the bipolar plate includes a thin metal foil having an anode side and a cathode side; a first metal mesh on the anode side of the thin metal foil; and a second metal mesh on the cathode side of the thin metal foil. In another characterization of the present invention, a cooling plate assembly cools adjacent fuel cells, where the cooling plate assembly includes an anode electrode and a cathode electrode formed of thin conducting foils; and a metal mesh flow field therebetween for distributing cooling water flow over the electrodes to remove heat generated by the fuel cells.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• Assignee: Regents of University of California (Los Alamos, MX)
• Patent Number(s): US 6207310
• OSTI ID: 873627
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/429/
adjacent
adjacent fuel
anode
anode electrode
assembly
bipolar
bipolar plate
catalyzed
catalyzed membrane
cathode
cathode electrode
cell
cells
characterization
cma
conducting
conducting foil
connects
cooling
cooling plate
cooling water
cools
corner
defining
diagonal
distribute
distributing
electrically
electrically connects
electrode
electrode formed
electrodes
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electrolyte
electrolyte membrane
equivalent
field
field pattern
flow
flow field
flow path
flow paths
flow-field
foil
foils
form
formed
forms
fuel
fuel cell
fuel cells
generated
heat
heat generated
inlet
located
membrane
membrane assembly
mesh
mesh defining
metal
metal foil
metal mesh
metal screen
outlet
particular
paths
pattern
pem
plate
plate assembly
polymer
polymer electrolyte
preferred
preferred form
provided
reactant
rectangular
rectangular flow
remove
remove heat
screen
screen flow-field
square
supplied
therebetween
uniformly
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water
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weave