# US 6,294,280 B1 · Fuel cell stack

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- Number: US 6,294,280 B1
- Document ID: US6294280B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 09/390,870
- Filed: 1999-09-07
- Granted: 2001-09-25
- Earliest claimed: 1998-09-10
- Assignees: Honda Giken Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Manabu Tanaka; Takafumi Okamoto; Akio Yamamoto; Yosuke Fujii; Shuji Sato
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US6294280B1

## CPC

- H01M 8/04029: Heat exchange using liquids
- H01M 8/0263: having meandering or serpentine paths
- H01M 8/0267: having heating or cooling means, e.g. heaters or coolant flow channels
- H01M 8/241: with solid or matrix-supported electrolytes
- H01M 8/2483: characterised by internal manifolds
- 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

Disclosed is a fuel cell stack comprising a fuel cell unit and separators which are stacked with each other. The separator is provided with a cooling medium supply port corresponding to a central portion of an electrode power-generating section and a cooling medium discharge port corresponding to an outer circumferential portion of the electrode power-generating section. The cooling medium supply port communicates with the cooling medium discharge port via a cooling medium flow passage having a spiral configuration. Accordingly, the entire fuel cell unit can be uniformly cooled, and the power-generating function can be effectively improved.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A fuel cell stack formed by alternately stacking separators and fuel cell units each comprising a solid polymer ion exchange membrane interposed by an anode electrode and a cathode electrode, said fuel cell stack comprising:
a cooling medium supply port corresponding to a central portion of an electrode power-generating section and a cooling medium discharge port corresponding to an outer circumferential portion of said electrode power-generating section, provided in a flat surface opposed to said anode electrode or said cathode electrode of at least one of said separators; and
a cooling medium flow passage having a spiral configuration for making communication between said cooling medium supply port and said cooling medium discharge port, formed in said flat surface,
wherein said cooling medium flows in a direction from said central portion to said outer circumferential portion.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The fuel cell stack according to claim 1, wherein:
through-holes for allowing a cooling medium to pass therethrough are formed on both sides of said separator; and
said cooling medium supply port communicates with said through-hole via a passage formed in said separator, and said cooling medium discharge port communicates with said through-hole.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The fuel cell stack according to claim 1, wherein an end surface of said separator is formed to protrude in a direction perpendicular to a stacking direction as compared with an end surface of each of said fuel cell units adjoining on both sides of said separator.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The fuel cell stack according to claim 3, wherein said end surface of said separator is formed to protrude in said direction perpendicular to said stacking direction as compared with an end surface of a gasket for accommodating said fuel cell unit.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The fuel cell stack according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of cooling medium discharge ports as defined above, wherein said cooling medium flow passages form a multiple flow passage for making communication between said cooling medium supply port and said respective cooling medium discharge ports.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The fuel cell stack according to claim 5, wherein an end surface of said separator is formed to protrude in a direction perpendicular to a stacking direction as compared with an end surface of each of said fuel cell units adjoining on both sides of said separator.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The fuel cell stack according to claim 6, wherein said end surface of said separator is formed to protrude in said direction perpendicular to said stacking direction as compared with an end surface of a gasket for accommodating said fuel cell unit.