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US 2009/0214929 A1Published application
Type of fuel cell bipolar plates constructed with multiple pass flow channels that contract, expand, deflect and split reactant flows for improving reactant flow distribution, diffusion and water management
OwnerYong Gaoinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A type of fuel cell bipolar plates is constructed with multiple splitting and deflecting flow channels through which reactant flows are constantly contracted, expanded, split into more than one flow streams, and deflected in flow directions for improving reactant flow distribution, diffusion and water management.
Claims16
A flow field plate assembly for distributing a reactant fluid to an electrode in a fuel cell, said assembly comprising:
- a base plate, as a separator, having at least one major working face;
- a boundary element formed with a gas diffusion layer (GDL) on a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) in a fuel cell and pressed on said working face;
- a plurality of blocks structured on said face, arranged in plurality of rows and in a repeating and staggered pattern, each one of said blocks structured with a height and preferably in a crescent shape, having a front concave surface facing an upcoming reactant flow, a rear convex surface facing downstream flow, side surfaces facing flows going through gaps between blocks in a row, and a top surface pressed against said boundary element;
- and
- a set of flow distributing channels formed by and between said blocks, reactant flows deflected, split, contracted and expanded constantly while going through said channels.
2 more elements
A fuel cell comprising:
- a base plate, as a separator, having at least one major working face;
- a boundary element formed with a gas diffusion layer (GDL) on a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) in a fuel cell and pressed on said working face;
- a plurality of blocks structured on said face, arranged in plurality of rows and in a repeating and staggered pattern, each one of said blocks structured with a height and preferably in a wavy curved shape, having a front multiple-concave shaped surface facing an upcoming reactant flow, a rear convex surface facing downstream flow, side surfaces facing flows going through gaps between blocks in a row, and a top surface pressed against said boundary element;
- and
- a set of flow distributing channels formed by and between said blocks, reactant flows deflected, split, contracted and expanded constantly while going through said channels.
2 more elements
A flow field bipolar plate assembly for distributing a reactant fluid to an electrode in a fuel cell, said assembly comprising:
- a base plate, as a separator, having at least one major working face;
- a boundary element formed with a gas diffusion layer (GDL) on a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) in a fuel cell and pressed on said working face;
- a plurality of blocks structured on said face, arranged in plurality of rows and in a repeating and staggered pattern, each one of said blocks structured with a height, a front surface facing an upcoming reactant flow, a rear surface facing downstream flow, side surfaces facing flows going through gaps between blocks in a row, and a top surface pressed against said boundary element;
- and
- a set of flow distributing channels formed by and between said blocks, reactant flows deflected, split, contracted and expanded constantly while going through said channels.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.