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US 7,842,426 B2Granted
Use of a porous material in the manifolds of a fuel cell stack
AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC
InventorsThomas W. Tighe, Jon P. Owejan, Thomas A. Trabold
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fuel cell stack is disclosed that utilizes a porous material internally disposed in the fuel cell outlet manifolds, wherein the porous material facilitates the transport of liquid water from the plate outlets thereby minimizing the accumulation of liquid water in the fuel cell stack.
Claims19
A fuel cell assembly comprising:
- a fuel cell stack including a plurality of fuel cell plates, wherein each plate includes at least one aperture formed therein, the apertures of said fuel cell plates substantially aligned to form a manifold;
- and
- a porous material disposed in the manifold abutting an inner surface of the manifold at an edge of the fuel cell plates adjacent flow channels formed therein, wherein the porous material facilitates the flow of water from the fuel cell plates, through the porous material, and out of said fuel cell stack.
A fuel cell assembly comprising:
- a fuel cell stack including a plurality of fuel cell plates, wherein each plate includes at least two apertures formed therein, the apertures of said fuel cell plates substantially aligned to form an inlet manifold and an outlet manifold;
- and
- a non-conductive porous material disposed in the outlet manifold abutting an inner surface of the manifold at an edge of the fuel cell plates adjacent flow channels formed therein, wherein the porous material facilitates the flow of water from the fuel cell plates, through the porous material, and out of said fuel cell stack through the outlet manifold.
A fuel cell assembly comprising:
- a fuel cell stack including a plurality of fuel cell plates, wherein each plate includes at least two apertures formed therein, the apertures of said fuel cell plates substantially aligned to form an inlet manifold and an outlet manifold;
- a porous material disposed in the outlet manifold, said porous material having a portion with a first pore density and a second portion with a second pore density greater than the first pore density, the second portion abutting an inner surface of the manifold at an edge of the fuel cell plates adjacent flow channels formed therein, wherein the porous material facilitates the flow of water from the fuel cell plates, through the porous material, and out of said fuel cell stack through the outlet manifold.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.