# US 2019/0245236 A1 · Polymer electrolyte fuel cell stack > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0245236 A1 - Document ID: US20190245236A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/254,565 - Filed: 2019-01-22 - Published: 2019-08-08 - Earliest claimed: 2018-02-08 - Assignees: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. - Inventors: YOSHIFUMI TAGUCHI; KOZUE KUNIYOSHI; MIYUKI YOSHIMOTO - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190245236A1 ## CPC - H01M 8/04014: Heat exchange using gaseous fluids; Heat exchange by combustion of reactants - H01M 8/2475: Enclosures, casings or containers of fuel cell stacks - H01M 8/0247: characterised by the form (characterised by a channel configuration H01M8/0258) - H01M 8/0258: characterised by the configuration of channels, e.g. by the flow field of the reactant or coolant - H01M 8/0267: having heating or cooling means, e.g. heaters or coolant flow channels - H01M 8/247: Arrangements for tightening a stack, for accommodation of a stack in a tank or for assembling different tanks - H01M 8/248: Means for compression of the fuel cell stacks - H01M 8/2483: characterised by internal manifolds - H01M 8/2484: characterised by external manifolds - H01M 2008/1095: {Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes} - Y02E 60/50: Fuel cells - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract A fuel cell stack includes: a cell stack including separator plates, and cells each placed between the separator plates; a pair of current collectors that hold external lateral surface of the cell stack in a cell-stacking direction; and a pair of end plates that hold the pair of current collectors from outsides of said current collectors in the cell-stacking direction, wherein the cell stack possesses (i) at least one first opening formed on one external lateral surface of said cell stack, said one external lateral surface located along a direction perpendicular to the cell-stacking direction, (ii) a second opening formed on an external lateral surface of the cell stack opposite to the one external lateral surface, and (ii) at least one passage that extends through an inside of the cell stack from the at least one first opening or the at least one second opening. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A fuel cell stack, comprising: a cell stack including separator plates, and cells placed between the separator plates; a pair of current collectors that hold external lateral surfaces of the cell stack in a cell-stacking direction; and a pair of end plates that hold the pair of current collectors from outsides of said current collectors in the cell-stacking direction, wherein the cell stack possesses (i) at least one first opening formed on one external lateral surface of said cell stack, said one external lateral surface located along a direction perpendicular to the cell-stacking direction, (ii) a second opening formed on an external lateral surface of the cell stack opposite to the one external lateral surface, and (ii) at least one passage that extends through an inside of the cell stack from the at least one first opening or the at least one second opening. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The fuel cell stack according to claim 1, wherein the at least one passage comprises a passage that connects the at least one first opening and the at least one second opening inside the cell stack. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The fuel cell stack according to claim 1, wherein the at least one passage extends from the at least one first opening and the at least one second opening, and is provided in an area along an outer circumstance of an area occupied by air electrodes. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The fuel cell stack according to claim 1, wherein the at least one passage extends to air electrodes in the cell. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The fuel cell stack according to claim 1, further comprising an air-supply unit that causes forced convection of air in a direction from the at least one first opening toward the at least one second opening. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The fuel cell stack according to claim 1, further comprising elastic members placed between the end plates and the current collectors, respectively. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The fuel cell stack according to claim 6, wherein at least one passage extending between the end plates and the current collectors along a direction from the at least one first opening toward the at least one second opening is provided in an area where the elastic members are not present. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The fuel cell stack according to claim 6, wherein the end plates each have concave or convex shaped locking parts engaging with the elastic members, in lateral surface of said end plates each facing the current collectors. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The fuel cell stack according to claim 1, wherein each of the end plates has a hollow part that extends from one lateral side of said end plate to another lateral surface of said end plate along a direction from the at least one first opening toward the at least one second opening. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The fuel cell stack according to claim 9, wherein each of the end plates has within the hollow part multiple strut parts that connect one inner surface and another inner surface facing said one inner surface in the cell-stacking direction to each other.