# US 10,374,237 B2 · Bipolar plate and fuel cell comprising same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,374,237 B2 - Document ID: US10374237B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/301,287 - Filed: 2015-04-02 - Published: 2017-01-26 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2014-04-02 - Assignees: Audi AG - Applicants: Audi AG - Inventors: Benno Andreas-Schott; Markus Ritter - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10374237B2 ## CPC - H01M 8/04089: of gaseous reactants - H01M 8/0202: Collectors; Separators, e.g. bipolar separators; Interconnectors - H01M 8/0258: characterised by the configuration of channels, e.g. by the flow field of the reactant or coolant - H01M 8/0267: having heating or cooling means, e.g. heaters or coolant flow channels - H01M 8/241: with solid or matrix-supported electrolytes - H01M 8/0247: characterised by the form (characterised by a channel configuration H01M8/0258) - H01M 2008/1095: {Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes} - Y02E 60/50: 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 ## Abstract A bipolar plate for a fuel cell, including a profiled anode plate and a profiled cathode plate each having an active region and two distributor regions with an anode gas main port for feeding and discharging fuel, a cathode gas main port for feeding and discharging oxidation agents, and a coolant main port for feeding and discharging coolant, these being arranged along a side edge. The bipolar plate includes distributor regions including at least one overlap section in which channels intersect one another in a non-fluidically connecting manner. The cathode gas main port is arranged between the anode gas main port and the coolant main port, cathode channels extend linearly from the port at least across the distributor region of the bipolar plate and, in a first overlap section, anode channels, and cathode channels intersect one another and form an angle of between 0° and 90°. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A bipolar plate for a fuel cell comprising: a profiled anode plate and a profiled cathode plate, each having an active area and two distributor areas for supply or removal of operating media to or from, respectively, the active area, the distributor areas each having an anode gas main port for supply or discharge of fuel, a cathode gas main port for supply or discharge of oxidants, and a coolant main port for supply or discharge of coolant, the anode and cathode plates being formed and situated one over another in such a way that the bipolar plate has channels for the operating media, the channels connecting the anode gas main port, the cathode gas main port and the coolant main port of both distributor areas to one another, and the distributor areas having at least one overlap section, the channels overlapping one another in a non-fluidically connected manner in the at least one overlap section, the cathode gas main port being situated in such a way that cathode channels of the channels proceeding from the cathode gas main port extend linearly at least across one of the distributor areas of the bipolar plate and into the active area, and, in a first overlap section of the at least one overlap section, anode channels of the channels proceeding from the anode gas main port and the cathode channels overlap one another and enclose an angle between 0° and 90°. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The bipolar plate as recited in claim 1 wherein the cathode gas main port is situated between the anode gas main port and the coolant main port. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The bipolar plate as recited in claim 1 wherein the angle between the anode channels and the cathode channels in the first overlap section is 10° to 60°. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The bipolar plate as recited in claim 1 wherein in the first overlap section, coolant channels proceeding from the coolant main port overlap with the cathode channels and the anode channels. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The bipolar plate as recited in claim 4 wherein in the at least one overlap section, the coolant channels enable transverse flows of the coolant. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The bipolar plate as recited in claim 1 wherein in a second overlap section of the at least one overlap section, the cathode channels and coolant channels overlap one another in a non-fluidically connected manner and extend at an angle of 75° to 100° in relation to one another. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The bipolar plate as recited in claim 1 wherein the cathode channels in first and second overlap sections of the at least one overlap section are formed as open channels on a cathode side and the anode channels in the first and second overlap sections are formed as open channels on an anode side. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The bipolar plate as recited in claim 1 wherein a width of the bipolar plate is less in the active area than in the distributor area. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A fuel cell comprising: a stack of a plurality of the bipolar plates as recited in claim 1; a plurality of membrane-electrode assemblies, the bipolar plates and the membrane-electrode assemblies being stacked alternately one over another. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The bipolar plate as recited in claim 1 wherein coolant from a coolant channel proceeding from the coolant main port can flow both transversely and additionally in parallel to the cathode channels. ### Claim 11 A bipolar plate for a fuel cell comprising: a profiled anode plate and a profiled cathode plate, each having an active area and two distributor areas for supply or removal of operating media to or from, respectively, the active area, the distributor areas each having an anode gas main port for supply or discharge of fuel, a cathode gas main port for supply or discharge of oxidants, and a coolant main port for supply or discharge of coolant, the anode and cathode plates being formed and situated one over another in such a way that the bipolar plate has channels for the operating media, the channels connecting the anode gas main port, the cathode gas main port and the coolant main port of both distributor areas to one another, and the distributor areas having at least one overlap section, the channels overlapping one another in a non-fluidically connected manner in the at least one overlap section, the cathode gas main port being situated in such a way that cathode channels of the channels proceeding from the cathode gas main port extend linearly at least across one of the distributor areas of the bipolar plate, and, in a first overlap section of the at least one overlap section, anode channels of the channels proceeding from the anode gas main port and the cathode channels overlap one another and enclose an angle between 0° and 90°, wherein the cathode gas main port is situated between the anode gas main port and the coolant main port and wherein the angle between the anode channels and the cathode channels in the first overlap section is 10° to 60°. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The bipolar plate as recited in claim 11 wherein in the first overlap section, coolant channels proceeding from the coolant main port overlap with the cathode channels and the anode channels. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The bipolar plate as recited in claim 12 wherein in the at least one overlap section, the coolant channels enable transverse flows of the coolant. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The bipolar plate as recited in claim 11 wherein in a second overlap section of the at least one overlap section, the cathode channels and coolant channels overlap one another in a non-fluidically connected manner and extend at an angle of 75° to 100° in relation to one another. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The bipolar plate as recited in claim 11 wherein a width of the bipolar plate is less in the active area than in the distributor area. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) A fuel cell comprising: a stack of a plurality of the bipolar plates as recited in claim 11; a plurality of membrane-electrode assemblies, the bipolar plates and the membrane-electrode assemblies being stacked alternately one over another. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The bipolar plate as recited in claim 11 wherein coolant from a coolant channel proceeding from the coolant main port can flow both transversely and additionally in parallel to the cathode channels.