Separator and fuel cell stack using the same
AssigneeSamsung SDI Co., Ltd.
InventorsYoung-Seung Na, Jun-Won Suh, Kyoung-Hwan Choi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed is a separator for a fuel cell stack. The separator includes a plate having a first opening and a second opening on a surface thereof. A field or a channel is formed on the surface of the plate. The field has a first end and a second end. A field inlet is formed on the surface of the plate and connects the first end of the field to the first opening, and a field outlet is formed on the surface of the plate and connects the second end of the field to the second opening. An area of a cross-section of the field inlet, which is cut perpendicular to the surface of the plate, is smaller than an area of a cross-section of the field outlet, which is cut perpendicular to the surface of the plate.
Claims20
A separator for a fuel cell stack, comprising:
- a plate having a first opening and a second opening on a surface thereof;
- a field formed on the surface of the plate, the field having a first end and a second end;
- a field inlet formed on the surface of the plate and connecting the first end of the field to the first opening;
- and
- a field outlet formed on the surface of the plate and connecting the second end of the field to the second opening, an area of a cross-section of the field inlet at an interface between the first opening and the field inlet being smaller than an area of a cross-section of the field outlet at a planar interface between the second opening and the field outlet, an area of a cross-section of the first end of the field at an interface between the first end of the field and the field inlet being greater than an area of a cross-section of the field inlet at the planar interface between the first end of the field and the field inlet.
A fuel cell stack comprising:
- a membrane electrode assembly for producing electricity, the membrane electrode assembly including an anode catalyst layer and a cathode catalyst layer;
- a separator disposed on a side the membrane electrode assembly, the separator distributing a fuel to the anode catalyst layer of the membrane electrode assembly or distributing an oxidant to the cathode catalyst layer of the membrane electrode assembly;
- and
- a fixing unit for holding the membrane electrode assembly and the separator, wherein the separator comprises:
- a plate having a first opening and a second opening on a surface thereof;
- a field formed on the surface of the plate, the field having a first end and a second end;
- a field inlet formed on the surface of the plate and connecting the first end of the field to the first opening;
- and
- a field outlet formed on the surface of the plate and connecting the second end of the field to the second opening, an area of a cross-section of the field inlet at an interface between the first opening and the field inlet being smaller than an area of a cross-section of the field outlet at a planar interface between the second opening and the field outlet, an area of a cross-section of the first end of the field at an interface between the first end of the field and the field inlet being greater than an area of a cross-section of the field inlet at the planar interface between the first end of the field and the field inlet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.