Polymer electrolyte fuel cell

A polymer electrolyte fuel cell comprising:

• a plurality of conductive separator plates, each comprising a corrugated metal plate having ridges and grooves that are alternately formed in parallel such that the ridges and grooves on one side correspond to the grooves and ridges on the other side, respectively;
• an electrolyte membrane-electrode assembly inserted between said separator plates, said electrolyte membrane-electrode assembly including a hydrogen-ion conductive polymer electrolyte membrane having its periphery covered with a gasket, an anode attached to one side of said electrolyte membrane, and a cathode attached to the other side of said electrolyte membrane;
• and gas charge and discharge means for charging and discharging a fuel gas and an oxidant gas to and from said anode and cathode, respectively,
• wherein said gasket has, on both sides, ribs that close both ends, in the longitudinal direction, of the grooves of said corrugated metal plates which said gasket faces, and
• said gas charge and discharge means comprises, at an inner side of said ribs of said gasket, fuel gas guide grooves that are formed on one side of the gasket so as to open to a side face of the gasket and communicate with the grooves of said metal plate and oxidant gas guide grooves that are formed on the other side of the gasket so as to open to a side face of the gasket and communicate with the grooves of said metal plate.

A polymer electrolyte fuel cell comprising:

• a plurality of conductive separator plates, each comprising a corrugated metal plate having ridges and grooves that are alternately formed in parallel such that the ridges and grooves on one side correspond to the grooves and ridges on the other side, respectively;
• an electrolyte membrane-electrode assembly inserted between said separator plates, said electrolyte membrane-electrode assembly including a hydrogen-ion conductive polymer electrolyte membrane having its periphery covered with a gasket, an anode attached to one side of said electrolyte membrane, and a cathode attached to the other side of said electrolyte membrane;
• and gas charge and discharge means for charging and discharging a fuel gas and an oxidant gas to and from said anode and cathode, respectively,
• wherein said gas charge and discharge means comprises:
• manifold apertures formed in every other groove of said corrugated metal plate facing the electrolyte membrane-electrode assembly;
• and gas flow controlling means including packings that allow the gas flowing into the groove having said manifold apertures to move into the groove having no manifold aperture across the groove that is formed on the other side between both grooves.