End plates for a fuel cell stack structure
AssigneeGeneral Motors Corporation
InventorJeffrey A. Rock
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electro-chemical fuel cell stack having a fuel cell assembly disposed between upper and lower terminal plates which are disposed between upper and lower end plates. Optionally, spacer plates can be inserted between the end plates and the terminal plates. The end plates and/or the spacer plates may have contoured surfaces to apply a generally uniform compressive load on the fuel cell assembly. The terminal plates, spacer plates, and end plates may be connected together to form rigid end assemblies that compress the fuel cell assembly.
Claims20
An electro-chemical fuel cell stack comprising:
- a plurality of fuel cells arranged in a stacked configuration to form a fuel cell assembly, said fuel cell assembly having opposite first and second ends;
- first and second end plates with opposite inner and outer surfaces, said first and second end plates being disposed respectively adjacent said first and second ends of said fuel cell assembly with said inner surfaces facing said fuel cell assembly, said first and second end plates being held in a fixed spaced relation so that said first and second end plates impart a compressive force on said fuel cell assembly, and at least one contoured surface formed on said inner surface of at least one of said first and second end plates so that said compressive force is imparted generally uniformly on said fuel cell assembly.
An electro-chemical fuel cell stack comprising:
- a plurality of fuel cells arranged in a stacked configuration to form a fuel cell assembly having opposite first and second ends;
- first and second spacer plates with opposite inner and outer surfaces, said first and second spacer plates being disposed respectively adjacent said first and second ends of said fuel cell assembly with said inner surfaces of said first and second spacer plates facing said first and second ends of said fuel cell assembly respectively;
- first and second end plates with opposite inner and outer surfaces, said first and second end plates being disposed respectively adjacent said first and second spacer plates with said inner surfaces of said first and second end plates facing said outer surfaces of said first and second spacer plates respectively, and said first and second end plates being held in a fixed spaced relation so that said first and second end plates impart a compressive force on said first and second spacer plates and on said fuel cell assembly;
- and
- at least one contoured surface formed on at least one of said first end plate, said second end plate, said first spacer plate and said second spacer plate so that said compressive force is imparted generally uniformly on said fuel cell assembly.
An electro-chemical fuel cell stack comprising:
- a plurality of fuel cells arranged in a stacked configuration to form a fuel cell assembly, said fuel cell assembly having opposite first and second ends;
- first and second terminal plates respectively disposed adjacent said first and second ends of said fuel cell assembly;
- first and second end plates respectively disposed adjacent said first and second terminal plates with said terminal plates interposed between said fuel cell assembly and said first and second end plates respectively;
- at least one terminal plate of said first and second terminal plates being fixedly secured to an adjacent end plate such that stiffness of said terminal plate contributes to stiffness of said adjacent end plate;
- and
- said first and second end plates being held in a fixed spaced relation so that said first and second end plates impart a compressive force on said fuel cell assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.