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US 9,178,230 B2Granted
Fuel cell having perforated flow field
AssigneeFord Motor Company
InventorsAlireza Pezhman Shirvanian, Shinichi Hirano
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fuel cell system includes a bipolar plate having a flow field formed therein. The flow field is partially defined by at least two adjacent channel portions separated by a wall portion. The wall portion includes a surface at least partially defining a passageway between the channel portions. The passageway may be sized so as to create a pressure difference between the channel portions. The pressure difference may draw at least a portion of a liquid droplet obstructing one of the channel portions toward and into the passageway.
Claims13
A fuel cell system comprising:
- a bipolar plate having a flow field formed therein, the flow field being partially defined by at least two adjacent channel portions separated by a wall portion, the wall portion including a surface at least partially defining a passageway between the channel portions, the passageway being textured or coated such that a surface tension gradient between the surface at least partially defining the passageway and a surface of one of the channel portions obstructed by a liquid droplet in a vicinity of the passageway draws at least a portion of the liquid droplet into the passageway.
An automotive fuel cell stack comprising:
- a plurality of fuel cells each including at least one flow-field plate having a flow field at least partially defined by two adjacent channel portions separated by a wall portion, the wall portion including a surface at least partially defining a passageway between the channel portions, the passageway being textured or coated such that a surface tension gradient between the surface at least partially defining the passageway and a surface of one the channel portions obstructed by a liquid droplet in a vicinity of the passageway draws at least a portion of the liquid droplet into the passageway.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.