# US 11,309,552 B2 · Thermal managing end plate for fuel cell stack assembly

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- Number: US 11,309,552 B2
- Document ID: US11309552B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/203,601
- Filed: 2021-03-16
- Published: 2021-07-08
- Granted: 2022-04-19
- Earliest claimed: 2018-04-18
- Assignees: Intelligent Energy Limited
- Applicants: Intelligent Energy Limited
- Inventors: Stephen Longley; Jonathan Cole
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11309552B2

## CPC

- H01M 8/0267: having heating or cooling means, e.g. heaters or coolant flow channels
- H01M 8/0228: in the form of layered or coated products
- H01M 8/0258: characterised by the configuration of channels, e.g. by the flow field of the reactant or coolant
- H01M 8/0263: having meandering or serpentine paths
- H01M 8/04014: Heat exchange using gaseous fluids; Heat exchange by combustion of reactants
- H01M 8/04074: {Heat exchange unit structures specially adapted for fuel cell}
- H01M 8/04701: Temperature
- H01M 8/2483: characterised by internal manifolds
- H01M 2008/1293: {Fuel cells with solid oxide 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

Fuel cell stack assemblies having a positive end plate and a negative end plate. The end plates can be formed from a central structural clement with an insulating end plate cover and an insulating end plate manifold. A plurality of cathode plates and a plurality of fuel cell assemblies can be arranged in a stack having an alternating pattern of cathode plates and fuel cell assemblies, with the positive end plate and the negative end plate provided on either end of the stack of cathode plates and fuel cell assemblies.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A negative end plate (300) comprising:
a central structural element (320) having a top face (322) and a bottom face (321);
a negative end plate cover (310) covering the top face (322); and
a negative end plate manifold (330) covering the bottom face (321);
wherein
the negative end plate manifold (330) has sinusoidal-wave-shaped air flow channels from a first side edge (331) to an opposing side edge (332).

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The negative end plate of claim 1, wherein:
the central structural element (320) is formed from aluminum.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The negative end plate of claim 1, wherein:
the central structural element (320) is formed from a para-aramid synthetic fiber or a carbon fiber composite.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The negative end plate of claim 1, wherein:
the negative end plate cover (310), negative end plate manifold (330), or both are formed from an electrically insulating material.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The negative end plate of claim 4, wherein:
the electrically insulating material is PC-ABS blends, PET, glass-filled PET, PA6, glass filled PA6, PBT, PEI, or mixtures thereof.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The negative end plate of claim 4, wherein:
the electrically insulating material is glass-filled PET.

### Claim 7

The negative end plate of any preceding claim, wherein:
the negative end plate cover (310) and negative end plate manifold (330) are releasably engageable to each other through a portion of the central structural element (320) via a plurality of snap clips.

### Claim 8

The negative end plate of any preceding claim, wherein:
the central structural element (320) is formed with a honeycombed structure with voids formed extending from the top face (321) to the bottom face (322).

### Claim 9

A positive end plate (200) comprising:
a central structural element (220) having a top face (221) and a bottom face (222);
a positive end plate cover (210) covering the top face (221);
a positive end plate manifold (230) covering the bottom face (222);
wherein the positive end plate manifold has air flow formed as straight-walls from the first side edge (231) to the opposing side edge (232); and, wherein the positive end plate cover (210) and positive end plate manifold (230) are releasably engageable to each other through a portion of the central structural element (220) via a plurality of snap clips.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The positive end plate (200) of claim 9, wherein:
the central structural element (220) is formed from aluminum.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The positive end plate (200) of claim 9, wherein:
the central structural element (220) is formed from a para-aramid synthetic fiber or a carbon fiber composite.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The positive end plate (200) of claim 9, wherein:
the positive end plate cover (210), positive end plate manifold (230), or both are formed from an electrically insulating material.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The positive end plate (200) of claim 12, wherein:
the electrically insulating material is PC-ABS blends, PET, glass-filled PET, PA6, glass filled PA6, PBT, PEI, or mixtures thereof.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The positive end plate (200) of claim 12, wherein:
the electrically insulating material is glass-filled PET.

### Claim 15

The positive end plate (200) of any preceding claim, wherein:
the positive end plate manifold (230) is provided with a ribbed structure to provide for the air flow channels from the first side edge (231) to an opposing side edge (232).