# US 10,122,024 B2 · Bipolar plate having half plates of varying thickness and fuel cell stack having same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,122,024 B2 - Document ID: US10122024B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/130,048 - Filed: 2016-04-15 - Published: 2016-10-27 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2015-04-23 - Assignees: Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft - Applicants: Volkswagen AG - Inventors: Ian Stewart; Christian Martin Zillich; Torsten Schwarz - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10122024B2 ## CPC - H01M 8/0247: characterised by the form (characterised by a channel configuration H01M8/0258) - H01M 8/0258: characterised by the configuration of channels, e.g. by the flow field of the reactant or coolant - H01M 2250/20: Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane - Y02E 60/50: Fuel cells - Y02T 90/40: Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A bipolar plate (10) for a fuel cell, including a first half plate (20) having a first thickness (21) and a second half plate (30) having a second thickness (31), the first half plate (20) and the second half plate (30) each being situated with one of their flat sides facing one another, and the first half plate (20) forming a first flow field (22) on its outer side for a first operating medium and the second half plate (30) forming a second flow field (32) on its outer side for a second operating medium is provided. It is provided that the first thickness (21) of the first half plate (20) is on average smaller, at least in sections, than the second thickness (31) of the second half plate (30). ## Claims ### Claim 1 A bipolar plate for a fuel cell, the bipolar plate comprising: a first half plate having a first thickness; and a second half plate having a second thickness, the first half plate and the second half plate each being situated with a first half plate side facing a second half plate side, the first half plate forming a first flow field on a first half plate outer side opposite the first half plate side for a first operating medium and the second half plate forming a second flow field on a second half plate outer side opposite the second half plate side for a second operating medium, the first thickness of the first half plate being on average smaller, at least in sections, than the second thickness of the second half plate; wherein the first thickness of the first half plate is no more than 80% of the second thickness of the second half plate and wherein the first thickness of the first half plate is at least 0.06 mm and no more than 0.15 mm. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The bipolar plate as recited in claim 1 wherein the first thickness of the first half plate is no more than 70% of the second thickness of the second half plate. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The bipolar plate as recited in claim 2 wherein the first thickness of the first half plate is no more than 60% of the second thickness of the second half plate. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The bipolar plate as recited in claim 1 wherein the first thickness of the first half plate is smaller over an entire expanse of the first half plate than the second thickness of the second half plate. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The bipolar plate as recited claim 1 wherein the first thickness of the first half plate is at least at least 0.07 mm and no more than 0.12 mm. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The bipolar plate as recited claim 5 wherein the first thickness of the first half plate is at least 0.075 mm and no more than 0.10 mm. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The bipolar plate as recited in claim 1 wherein the first half plate is an anode plate and the first flow field is an anode flow field for an anode operating gas of a fuel cell stack, and the second half plate is a cathode plate and the second flow field is a cathode flow field for a cathode operating gas. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The bipolar plate as recited in claim 1 wherein the first half plate is a cathode plate and the first flow field is a cathode flow field for a cathode operating gas of a fuel cell stack, and the second half plate is an anode plate and the second flow field is an anode flow field for an anode operating gas. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The bipolar plate as recited in claim 1 wherein the first and the second half plate have a profiled design and the profile structures are at least partially nested. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A fuel cell stack comprising: a plurality of bipolar plates, each bipolar plate being the bipolar plate as recited in claim 1, and a plurality of membrane electrode units, stacked alternatingly. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) A vehicle comprising the fuel cell stack as recited in claim 10. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The bipolar plate as recited in claim 1 wherein the first half plate has first half plate flat sections and the second half plate has second half plate flat sections, the first thickness of the first half plate in the first half plate flat section being on average smaller than the second thickness of second half plate in the second half plate flat section. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The bipolar plate as recited in claim 12 wherein the first half plate flat section and the second half plate flat section contact each other.