Fuel cell gas distribution
AssigneeIntelligent Energy Limited
InventorPaul Benson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fuel cell comprising a membrane-electrode assembly having an anode electrode face; an anode plate adjacent said membrane-electrode assembly electrode face and coupled thereto by a sealing gasket. The sealing gasket, electrode face and anode plate together define a fluid containment volume for delivery of anode fluid to the electrode face. A sheet of porous diffuser material is situated in the fluid containment volume and having at least one plenum defined between at least one lateral edge of the sheet of diffuser material and the sealing gasket. Fluid for delivery to an active surface of the membrane-electrode assembly may be delivered by the plenum and by diffusion through the diffuser material to such an extent that fluid flow channels in the anode plate are not required.
Claims20
A fuel cell comprising:
- a membrane-electrode assembly having an anode electrode face;
- an anode plate adjacent said anode electrode face and coupled to the anode electrode face by a sealing gasket;
- the sealing gasket, anode electrode face and anode plate together defining a fluid containment volume for delivery of anode fluid to the anode electrode face;
- and
- a sheet of diffuser material that is porous and that is situated in the fluid containment volume and that has at least one plenum defined between at least one lateral edge of the sheet of diffuser material and the sealing gasket.
A fuel cell comprising:
- a membrane-electrode assembly having a cathode electrode face;
- a cathode plate adjacent to the cathode electrode face and coupled to the cathode electrode face by a sealing gasket;
- the sealing gasket, cathode electrode face, and cathode plate together defining a fluid containment volume for delivery of cathode fluid to, and/or exhausting of cathode fluid from, the cathode electrode face;
- and
- a sheet of porous diffuser material in the fluid containment volume and having at least one plenum defined between at least one lateral edge of the sheet of porous diffuser material and the sealing gasket.
(canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.