US 2015/0086897 A1 · FUEL CELL ELECTRODE INTERCONNECT CONTACT MATERIAL ENCAPSULATION AND METHOD

Abstract

A fuel cell stack includes a plurality of fuel cell cassettes each including a fuel cell with an anode and a cathode. Each fuel cell cassette also includes an electrode interconnect adjacent to the anode or the cathode for providing electrical communication between an adjacent fuel cell cassette and the anode or the cathode. The interconnect includes a plurality of electrode interconnect protrusions defining a flow passage along the anode or the cathode for communicating oxidant or fuel to the anode or the cathode. An electrically conductive material is disposed between at least one of the electrode interconnect protrusions and the anode or the cathode in order to provide a stable electrical contact between the electrode interconnect and the anode or cathode. An encapsulating arrangement segregates the electrically conductive material from the flow passage thereby, preventing volatilization of the electrically conductive material in use of the fuel cell stack.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A fuel cell stack having a plurality of fuel cell cassettes, each said fuel cell cassette comprising:

a fuel cell with an anode and a cathode;
an electrode interconnect adjacent to one of said anode and said cathode for providing electrical communication between an adjacent said fuel cell cassette and said one of said anode and said cathode, said electrode interconnect having a plurality of electrode interconnect protrusions defining a flow passage along said one of said anode and said cathode for communicating one of an oxidant and a fuel to said one of said anode and said cathode;
an electrically conductive material disposed between at least one of said plurality of electrode interconnect protrusions and said one of said anode and said cathode in order to provide a stable electrical contact between said electrode interconnect and said one of said anode and said cathode;
and
an encapsulating arrangement that segregates said electrically conductive material from the flow of said one of said oxidant and said fuel in said flow passage, thereby preventing volatilization of said electrically conductive material by said one of said oxidant and said fuel in use of said fuel cell stack.

2 more elements

A method of forming a fuel cell stack having a plurality of fuel cell cassettes where each fuel cassette comprises a fuel cell with an anode and a cathode;

an electrode interconnect adjacent to one of said anode and said cathode for providing electrical communication between an adjacent said fuel cell cassette and said one of said anode and said cathode, said electrode interconnect having a plurality of electrode interconnect protrusions defining a flow passage along said one of said anode and said cathode for communicating one of an oxidant and a fuel to said one of said anode and said cathode;
and an electrically conductive material disposed between at least one of said plurality of electrode interconnect protrusions and said one of said anode and said cathode in order to provide a stable electrical contact between said electrode interconnect and said one of said anode and said cathode, said method comprising:
providing an encapsulating arrangement which segregates said electrically conductive material from said flow passage, thereby preventing volatilization of said electrically conductive material in use of said fuel cell stack.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Fuel cell electrode interconnect contact material encapsulation and method

Life of this patent

Fuel cell electrode interconnect contact material encapsulation and method

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20