Fuel cell design with an integrated heat exchanger and gas humidification unit
AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC
InventorsVolker Formanski, Peter Kilian, Thomas Herbig, Marc Becker, Peter Willimowski
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Abstract
A fuel cell assembly having a flow distribution subassembly that comprises four sets of flow channels, the first set facing an anode for distribution of a fuel reactant to said anode, the second set facing a cathode for distribution of an oxidant to said cathode, the third set in flow communication with said second set and in heat transfer relation with at least one of said anode and said cathode, and the fourth set receiving a coolant different from said oxidant.
Claims15
A cooled bipolar plate assembly for separating adjacent first and second fuel cells of a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell stack and for conducting electric current between said cells, said assembly comprising:
- a first substrate comprising an anode-confronting face having a plurality of first lands formed therein to define a plurality of first grooves for distributing fuel reactant to the first cell, and a first heat exchange face opposite said anode-confronting face;
- a second substrate comprising a cathode-confronting face having a plurality of second lands formed therein to define a plurality of second grooves for distributing oxidant to the second cell, and a second heat exchange face opposite said cathode-confronting face,
- wherein said first and second heat exchange faces:
- (a) confront each other so as to define therebetween a plurality of passages, at least a portion of said passages receiving said oxidant flowing therethrough to cool an adjacent cell and directing said oxidant to said plurality of second grooves;
- and
- (b) are electrically coupled to each other at a plurality of sites.
A method for cooling an electrochemical fuel cell, the method comprising:
- conducting an electrochemical reaction in the fuel cell by oxidizing a fuel reactant with an oxidant reactant at a membrane electrode assembly (MEA), thereby generating electrical energy and heat;
- and
- cooling said MEA by transferring heat from said MEA to one of said reactants in a first flow path, thereby cooling said MEA and heating said reactant, and directing said heated reactant to a second flow path for reaction at said MEA.
A fuel cell assembly comprising:
- an electrode;
- a plurality of reactant flow channels distributing reactant to said electrode;
- a first set of coolant flow channels receiving said reactant upstream of said reactant flow channels and directing said reactant to said reactant flow channels;
- and
- a second set of coolant flow channels separate from said first set, in heat transfer relationship with said electrode, and containing a coolant,
- wherein said coolant and said reactant are different.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.