Fuel cell stack
AssigneeHonda Motor Co., Ltd.
InventorsMasaaki Sakano, Hiroshi Morikawa
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fuel cell stack includes a stack body of power generation cells stacked in a horizontal direction. An oxygen-containing gas flow field is formed in the fuel cell stack, for allowing an oxygen-containing gas to flow along an electrode surface of a membrane electrode assembly. A plurality of oxygen-containing gas discharge passages for discharging the oxygen-containing gas as a reactant gas pass through the fuel cell stack in a stacking direction of the power generation cells. Each of the oxygen-containing gas discharge passages is connected to an outlet. The plurality of oxygen-containing gas discharge passages are connected together by a first connection channel at an end opposite to the outlet.
Claims9
A fuel cell stack, comprising:
- a stack body including a plurality of power generation cells stacked in a horizontal direction, the power generation cells each comprising a membrane electrode assembly and a separator stacked on the membrane electrode assembly, the membrane electrode assembly including an electrolyte membrane and electrodes provided on both sides of the electrolyte membrane;
- a first reactant gas flow field being formed in the fuel cell stack and configured to allow a first reactant gas to flow along a first electrode surface;
- and
- a second reactant gas flow field being formed in the fuel cell stack and configured to allow a second reactant gas to flow along a second electrode surface, wherein
- in the stack body, a plurality of first reactant gas discharge passages are connected to the first reactant gas flow field and configured to discharge the first reactant gas, and the first reactant gas discharge passages pass through the fuel cell stack in a stacking direction of the power generation cells;
- in the stack body, a plurality of second reactant gas discharge passages are connected to the second reactant gas flow field and configured to discharge the second reactant gas, and the second reactant gas discharge passages pass through the fuel cell stack in the stacking direction of the power generation cells;
- each of the plurality of first reactant gas discharge passages formed in the stack body has a separate and distinct outlet of the first reactant gas;
- each of the plurality of second reactant gas discharge passages formed in the stack body has a separate and distinct outlet of the second reactant gas;
- the plurality of first reactant gas discharge passages or the plurality of second reactant gas discharge passages include an upper reactant gas discharge passage and a lower reactant gas discharge passage;
- a drain positioned below the lower reactant gas discharge passage;
- and
- the upper reactant gas discharge passage and the lower reactant gas discharge passage are connected together by a connection channel at ends opposite to the outlets of the plurality of first reactant gas discharge passages or the plurality of second reactant gas discharge passages.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.