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US 2006/0134498 A1Published application
Fuel cell stack and method of making same
OwnerRobert Hamm, Kurt Laurer +1inventors
InventorsRobert Hamm, Kurt Laurer, Gregory Pacifico
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell stack that includes fuel cell plates. The fuel cell system includes a retainer to maintain a total compression force on the fuel cell plates between approximately 5 to 40 pounds per square inch.
Claims35
A fuel cell system, comprising:
- a fuel cell stack comprising flow plates;
- and
- a retainer to maintain a total compression force on the flow plates between approximately 5 to 40 pounds per square inch.
An apparatus comprising:
- a first flow plate to communicate a fuel flow to an anode side of a fuel cell;
- a second flow plate to communicate an oxidant flow to a cathode side of the fuel cell;
- and
- a chemical to bond secure the first flow plate to the second flow plate.
1 more element
A method comprising:
- stacking fuel cell flow plates together to form a stack;
- operating a mechanism so that at a position of the mechanism the mechanism applies a compression force on the stack initially exceeding a bond strength;
- without changing the position of the mechanism, allowing an internal effect in the stack to relax the compression force to approximately be equal to or less than the bond strength;
- and
- in response to the compression force relaxing below the bond strength, forming bonds between the plates.
2 more elements
A method usable with a fuel cell, comprising:
- using a first flow plate and a second plate to form the fuel cell;
- and
- forming a chemical bond to secure the first flow plate to the second flow plate and provide a seal to isolate flows of the fuel cell.
A method usable with a fuel cell stack, comprising:
- using a first adhesive layer between flow plates of the fuel cell stack to isolate flows in the fuel cell stack;
- and
- using a second adhesive layer other than the first adhesive layer to bond the flow plates together.
A fuel cell system comprising:
- a fuel cell stack comprising flow plates;
- a first adhesive layer located between the flow plates to isolate flows in the fuel cell stack;
- and
- a second adhesive layer other than the first adhesive layer to bond the flow plates together.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.