Fluid flow plate for water management, method for fabricating same, and fuel cell employing same

Abstract

A fluid flow plate includes a generally porous portion and a generally non-porous portion which together form on a first surface of the plate, a flow channel having at least one turn for distributing a reactant gas in a fuel cell. The porous portion defines an outer lateral portion of the at least one turn. Such fluid flow plate(s) provide a water management scheme for a fuel cell and/or fuel cell assembly in which the turn(s) in a flow channel of the fluid flow plate(s) are used for multi-point per flow channel addition, removal, and/or redistribution of water for regulation of the humidity of a stream of reactant gas for membrane hydration and/or cooling. Desirably, for removal of water, the inertia of large water droplets moving along with the reactant gas through the flow channel impact the porous portion which forms the outer lateral portion of the turn(s).

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.