Seal for pem fuel cell plate

A seal assembly adjacent a fuel cell plate comprising:

• a fuel cell plate with a first surface, a second surface, and a plurality of header openings formed therein;
• a flow field formed on the first surface of the plate, the flow field including an inlet feed region and an outlet region, the inlet region and the outlet region having feed area channels to provide fluid communication with at least one header opening;
• at least one elongated sealing member formed on the plate adapted to cooperate with a seal assembly to form a substantially fluid tight seal therebetween, wherein the sealing member includes a first lateral side and a spaced apart second lateral side, each of the first lateral side and the second lateral side having an upper end, with a substantially planar sealing surface disposed therebetween, the sealing surface being recessed in respect of the upper ends of the first lateral side and the second lateral side;
• and
• at least one sealing component adapted to cooperate with the sealing member to form a substantially fluid tight seal therebetween.

A fuel cell stack comprising:

• at least one end plate having a flow field formed on a surface thereof and a plurality of header openings formed therein in selected fluid communication with the flow field, the flow field including an inlet feed region, an outlet region, a plurality of feed area channels in selected fluid communication with the inlet region and the outlet region, and at least one sealing member formed around at least one of the header openings formed in the end plate, wherein the sealing member includes a first lateral side and a spaced apart second lateral side, each of the first lateral side and the second lateral side having an upper end, with a substantially planar sealing surface disposed therebetween, the sealing surface being recessed in respect of the upper ends of the first lateral side and the second lateral side;
• at least one bipolar plate disposed adjacent the end plate, wherein each bipolar plate includes, a flow field formed on at least one of a first surface and a second surface and a plurality of header openings formed therein in selected fluid communication with the flow field, the flow field including, an inlet feed region, an outlet region, a plurality of feed area channels in selected fluid communication with the inlet region and the outlet region, and at least one sealing member formed around at least one of the header openings formed in the bipolar plate;
• a unitized electrode assembly disposed between each plate;
• a seal having a first surface and a second surface, the first surface adapted to form a substantially fluid tight seal with the sealing member of at least one of the end plate and the bipolar plate;
• and
• a seal support having a first surface and a second surface, the first surface adapted to form a substantially fluid tight seal with one of the second surface of the seal and the unitized electrode assembly.