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US 6,270,917 B1Granted
Fuel cell
AssigneeMitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsHideo Maeda, Kenro Mitsuda, Hisatoshi Fukumoto, Kazutoshi Kaneyuki
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The long side of a rectangular first separator plate of a fuel cell is divided into n equal area smaller rectangular parts so that the long sides of the rectangular parts are not larger than 2½ and not smaller than ½½ the length of the short sides. Through holes pass through a stack of plates substantially at centers of the smaller rectangles. Bolts having an annular elastic member at one end pass through the through holes, and the stack is clamped together.
Claims14
A fuel cell comprising:
- a rectangular single cell including a cathode and an anode with a rectangular electrolyte film sandwiched between said cathode and said anode, in which said cathode and said anode are substantially identical in shape with said electrolyte film, a ratio of a length of a long side to a length of a short side in said electrolyte film being not less than 2½;
- a stack including:
- a first separator plate disposed adjacent to said cathode and having oxidant flow paths through which an oxidant fluid is supplied;
- and a second separator plate disposed adjacent to said anode and having fuel flow paths through which a fuel fluid is supplied, wherein a plurality of through holes are respectively defined at substantially center areas of a plurality of second rectangles, said plurality of through holes passing through said stack, said plurality of second rectangles being defined as a result of dividing a long side of said single cell of said stack into n equal parts, the n being selected so that the parts are not larger than 2½ times a length of the short side and not smaller than ½½ times;
- and
- a plurality of bolts passing through said plurality of through holes, respectively, and having an annular elastic member in at least one end of each of said plurality of bolts, and which fasten said stack via said annular elastic member.
3 more elements
A fuel cell comprising:
- a rectangular cell including a cathode and an anode and a rectangular electrolyte film sandwiched between said cathode and said anode, said cathode, said anode, and said electrolyte film being substantially identical in shape and having first long sides and first short sides wherein said cathode, said anode, and said electrolyte film are divided into n identical smaller rectangles having second long sides and the first short sides, and n is selected so that the second long side divided by the first short side is not more than 2½ and not less than ½½;
- a first separator plate disposed adjacent to said cathode and having oxidant flow paths through which an oxidant is supplied;
- a second separator plate disposed adjacent to said anode and having fuel flow paths through which a fuel is supplied, and a through hole located substantially at a center of each of the smaller rectangles, the through holes passing through said cathode, said anode, said electrolyte film, and said first and second separator plates;
- respective bolts passing through the through holes;
- and
- annular elastic members located at at least one end of each of said bolts, said bolts fastening said cathode, said anode, said electrolyte film, and said first and second separator plates together in a stack through said annular elastic members.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.