Fuel cell stack with thin endplate with integrated gas distribution tubes
AssigneeTopsøe Fuel Cell A/S
InventorNiels Erikstrup
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fuel cell stack comprises a thin process-gas-connection-endplate with a temperature expansion coefficient which is substantially the same as the temperature expansion coefficient of the plurality of fuel cells and interconnects forming the fuel cell stack, the length and width of the thin process-gas-connection-endplate is matching the length and width of the fuel cells and interconnects and the process-gas-connection-endplate is sealed to the stack of cells and interconnects so the process-gas-connection-endplate, cells and interconnects form one integrated unit, wherein process gas distribution tubes are fixed connected, e.g. welded or brazed to the process-gas-connection-endplate.
Claims13
A fuel cell stack comprising a plurality of stacked fuel cells, each cell comprising at least an anode, an electrolyte and a cathode and neighboring fuel cells are divided each by an interconnect, said stack further comprises at least one process-gas-connection-endplate with length and width corresponding to the length and width of said plurality of cells, the material and thickness of said process-gas-connection-endplate are adapted to provide said process-gas-connection-endplate with a temperature expansion coefficient substantially matching the temperature expansion coefficient of said plurality of cells;
- said at least one process-gas-connection-endplate and said plurality of fuel cells are connected to each other by seals to form a single integrated unit, wherein said process-gas-connection-endplate comprises at least one process gas distribution tube which is fixed connected to a first face of the process-gas-connection-endplate, whereby the process-gas-connection-endplate and said at least one process gas distribution tube forms an integrated unit and no seals are necessary between the process-gas-connection-endplate and the at least one process gas distribution tube.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.