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US 12,620,612 B2Granted
Fuel cell stack
AssigneesHyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation
InventorKyu Hwan Shim
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present disclosure relates to a fuel cell stack including a reaction unit comprising a plurality of unit cells and configured to define reaction regions for electrochemical reactions of reactant gases, and manifold blocks disposed at two opposite ends of the reaction unit and provided independently of the reaction unit, the manifold blocks having manifold flow paths for supplying and discharging the reactant gases, thereby obtaining an advantageous effect of simplifying a structure and a manufacturing process and improving safety, maintainability, and reliability.
Claims11
A fuel cell stack comprising:
- a reaction unit comprising a plurality of unit cells and configured to define reaction regions for electrochemical reactions of reactant gases;
- manifold blocks disposed at two opposite ends of the reaction unit and provided independently of the reaction unit, the manifold blocks having manifold flow paths for supplying and discharging the reactant gases and having a coolant flow path;
- a clamp member disposed to surround the plurality of unit cells and configured to lock the plurality of unit cells;
- inner endplates configured to cover outer surfaces of the reaction unit;
- outer endplates configured to cover outer surfaces of the manifold blocks and outer surfaces of the inner endplates and having flow path holes corresponding to the manifold flow paths and having a coolant hole configured to communicate with the coolant flow path;
- and
- a coolant port provided on an outer surface at an end of the manifold block and configured to communicate with the coolant flow path;
- wherein an accommodation portion is provided in an outer surface of the inner endplate, and an end of the clamp member is accommodated in the accommodation portion,
- wherein an outer surface of the end of the clamp member is disposed on the same plane as the outer surface of the inner endplates in a state in which the end of the clamp member is accommodated in the accommodation portion,
- wherein a coolant supplied into the fuel cell stack flows through the coolant flow path of the manifold blocks, then passes through flow paths formed between the plurality of unit cells along the stacking direction of the plurality of unit cells, and is discharged, and
- wherein the coolant port is connected to a central portion of the coolant flow path corresponding to a central portion of the reaction unit along the stacking direction of the plurality of unit cells.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.