Bipolar plate assembly having transverse legs
AssigneeGeneral Motors Corporation
InventorsJeffrey A. Rock, Kim Griffith, Pinkhas A. Rapaport
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A bipolar plate assembly for use in a PEM fuel cell having an anode plate and a cathode plate together to define flow fields on the exposed faces thereof and a coolant volume therebetween. Each of the flow fields have a transverse inlet leg in fluid communication with the inlet header, a serpentine flow field extending from the transverse inlet leg and a transverse exhaust leg in fluid communication with the exhaust header. The plates further define a tortuous coolant flow path in the coolant volume.
Claims19
A flow field plate for use in a fuel cell of the type having a thin plate including an inlet margin having an inlet header formed therethrough, an exhaust margin having an exhaust header formed therethrough, and a first major face having a flow field formed therein, said flow field defined by a plurality of flow channels, each of said plurality of flow channels comprising:
- an inlet leg including a first longitudinal portion in fluid communication with said inlet header and a first transverse portion;
- a serpentine leg having a first end in fluid communication with said first transverse portion and a second end;
- and
- an exhaust leg having a second transverse portion in fluid communication with said second end of said serpentine leg and a second longitudinal portion in fluid communication with said first exhaust header;
- wherein said inlet legs of each of said plurality of flow channels are of equal length, said serpentine legs of each of said plurality of flow channels are of equal length, and said exhaust legs of each of said plurality of flow channels are of equal length.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.