Porous flow field plate for moisture distribution control in a fuel cell
AssigneeBallard Power Systems Inc.
InventorsRobert Mason Darling, Shampa Kandoi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A flow field plate for use in a fuel cell includes a porous, wettable plate body including a first reactant gas channel having an inlet portion, a second reactant gas channel having an outlet portion that is adjacent the inlet portion of the first reactant gas channel, and at least one moisture reservoir fluidly connected with pores of the porous, wettable plate body. The at least one moisture reservoir can selectively collect and release moisture received from a reactant gas in the outlet portion to thereby selectively move the moisture from the outlet portion toward the adjacent inlet portion.
Claims10
A flow field plate for use in a fuel cell comprising:
- a porous, wettable bipolar plate body including a first reactant gas channel having an inlet portion, a second reactant gas channel having an outlet portion that is adjacent the inlet portion of the first reactant gas channel, and at least one moisture reservoir fluidly connected with pores of the porous, wettable bipolar plate body such that the at least one moisture reservoir can selectively collect and release moisture received from a reactant gas in the outlet portion to thereby selectively move the moisture from the outlet portion toward the adjacent inlet portion;
- a porous, moisture permeable layer adjacent a side of the porous, wettable bipolar plate body that is opposite from the first reactant gas channel and the second reactant gas channel, and the at least one moisture reservoir extends through the porous, moisture permeable layer;
- and
- a solid separator plate adjacent the porous, moisture permeable layer, and the at least one moisture reservoir includes at least one channel extending in the solid separator plate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.