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US 10,381,664 B2Granted
Fuel cell component having selected cooling capacity distribution
AssigneeAudi AG
InventorsSushant S. Bhadange, Jeffrey G. Lake
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An exemplary fuel cell component includes a plate having a plurality of channels. At least a first one of the channels is configured differently than others of the channels so that the first channel provides a first cooling capacity to a selected portion of the plate. The others of the channels provide a second, lesser cooling capacity to at least one other portion of the plate.
Claims19
A fuel cell component, comprising:
- a plate having a plurality of reactant channels and a plurality of coolant channels, the plurality of reactant channels allowing a reactant to move across the plate in a reactant direction from a first edge of the plate to a second edge of the plate opposite to the first edge, at least a first one of the coolant channels being configured differently than others of the coolant channels so that the first coolant channel provides a first cooling capacity to a selected portion of the plate and the others of the coolant channels provide a second, lesser cooling capacity to at least one other portion of the plate, wherein the first coolant channel extends across the plate in a first direction transverse to the reactant direction established by the plurality of reactant channels, wherein the others of the coolant channels extend across the plate in a second direction parallel to the reactant direction established by the plurality of reactant channels, and wherein the first coolant channel extends across the others of the coolant channels.
A method of managing a temperature within a fuel cell, comprising:
- providing a first cooling capacity to a selected portion of at least one fuel cell plate, the fuel cell plate including a plurality of reactant channels and a plurality of coolant channels, the plurality of reactant channels allowing a reactant to move across the fuel cell plate in a reactant direction from a first outermost edge of the plate to a second outermost edge of the plate opposite to the first outermost edge, wherein at least a first one of the coolant channels provides the first cooling capacity to the selected portion of the fuel cell plate, the first coolant channel extending across the plate in a first direction transverse to the reactant direction established by the reactant channels;
- and
- providing a second, lesser cooling capacity to at least one other portion of the fuel cell plate, wherein others of the coolant channels provide the second, lesser cooling capacity to the other portion of the fuel cell plate, the others of the coolant channels extending across the plate in a second direction parallel to the reactant direction established by the reactant channels.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.