Passive water management system for a fuel cell power plant

A passive water management system for a fuel cell power plant (10), the system comprising:

• a. at least one fuel cell (12) for generating electrical current from hydrogen containing reducing fluid fuel and oxygen containing oxidant reactant streams, the fuel cell (12) including an anode fuel flow field (14), and a cathode oxidant flow field (16) defined adjacent opposed sides of an electrolyte (18), an anode water management flow field (20) defined adjacent the anode fuel flow field (14), the anode fuel flow field (14) (100) including at least one fuel path (102) defined between a fuel inlet (108) and a fuel outlet (110) for directing the fuel to flow adjacent to the electrolyte (18) from the fuel inlet (108) through the fuel path (102) to the fuel outlet (110);
• b. a cooler plate (52) secured in heat exchange relationship with the fuel cell (12) for removing heat from the fuel cell (12), the cooler plate (52) (118) including at least one coolant path (120) defined between a coolant inlet (126) and a coolant outlet (128) for directing a cooling fluid to flow from the coolant inlet (126) through the coolant path (102) to the coolant outlet (128);
• and,
• c. wherein a width (132) of the fuel path (102) is about the same as a width (134) of the coolant path (120) where the fuel path (102) and coolant path (120) are closest to each other, and the fuel path (102) extending between the fuel inlet (108) and the fuel outlet (110) substantially overlies the coolant path (120) extending between the coolant inlet (126) and the coolant outlet (128) to minimize a temperature differential between fuel flowing through the fuel path (102) and the closest cooling fluid flowing through the coolant path (120).