Plastic frame assembly and bipolar plate with through-flow fuel feed
AssigneeIntelligent Energy Limited
InventorsLee Duckworth, Jonathan Cole
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present disclosure provides methods for forming flow plate and frame assemblies that comprise an anode frame member, a flow plate, and a cathode frame member with the flow plate retained between the anode and cathode frame members. The present disclosure also provides for flow plate and frame assemblies, fuel cell stacks containing a plurality of the flow plate and frame assemblies, and fuel cell systems containing the fuel cell stacks. A fluidly connected anode fluid pathway can be provided from an anode fluid inlet, through conduits in the anode frame member, onto an anode surface of the flow plate, and into anode flow channels.
Claims13
A flow plate and frame assembly comprising:
- an anode frame member (100) comprising an outer surface (101), an inner surface (102), and an anode frame opening (103);
- a cathode frame member (200) comprising an outer surface (202), an inner surface (201), and a cathode frame opening (203);
- and a flow plate (300) comprising an anode surface (301) and a cathode surface (302);
- wherein the cathode frame member (200) and anode frame member (100) engage with each other along their respective inner surfaces (102/201), and retain and surround an entire perimeter of the flow plate (300) in between the inner surfaces (102/201) with a portion of the anode surface (301) in contact with the anode frame member inner surface (102) and a portion of the cathode surface (302) in contact with the cathode frame member inner surface (201);
- wherein the anode frame member (100), cathode frame member (200), and flow plate (300) are configured to provide a fluidly connected anode fluid pathway;
- the anode fluid pathway comprises one or more anode fluid inlets 160, a portion of the outer surface (101) defined by an anode fluid flow region (800), one or more anode fluid conduits (161) pass through the anode frame member (100) and connect outer surface (101) to inner surface (102), a volume between the anode frame member (100) inner surface (102) and flow plate (300) anode surface (301), and one or more anode flow channels (304);
- and,
- configured below a stepped down edge (805) an anode fluid inlet (160) is fluidly connected to the anode fluid flow region and fluid distributing protrusions (810).
A fuel cell stack assembly comprising a plurality of identical flow plate and frame assemblies of any one of the preceding claims, with each identical flow plate and frame assembly aligned with the outer surfaces 101/202 of adjacent flow plate and frame assemblies engaging together.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.