Patent ID: 9601785
Date: 2017-03-21
CPC Classifications: H01M,Y02E,Y02P

Claim:
1. A fuel cell formed by stacking an electrolyte electrode assembly and a metal separator in the form of a corrugated plate in a stacking direction, the electrolyte electrode assembly including electrodes and an electrolyte interposed between the electrodes, a reactant gas flow field as a passage of a fuel gas or an oxygen-containing gas being formed on one surface of the metal separator, a reactant gas supply passage for the fuel gas or the oxygen-containing gas extending through the fuel cell in the stacking direction, wherein the reactant gas flow field includes a plurality of flow field ridges, wherein the metal separator includes a buffer region formed between an end of the reactant gas flow field and the reactant gas supply passage; a plurality of continuous linear guide ridges are formed directly in the metal separator and are disposed and formed in the buffer region to form a continuous guide flow field; the continuous linear guide ridges include bent portions, and the continuous linear guide ridges protrude toward the reactant gas flow field side; and a plurality of bosses positioned at least between the adjacent continuous linear guide ridges, wherein in a given buffer region each one of the plurality of continuous guide ridges has a length that is different than lengths of the other ones of the plurality of the continuous guide ridges, and wherein the lengths of each of the plurality of continuous guide ridges decrease in length in a stepwise manner relative to each other in a direction extending towards the reactant gas supply passage, wherein the continuous linear guide ridges are continuously connected to ends of only selected ones of the plurality of flow field ridges of the reactant gas flow field at predetermined positions and are angled relative thereto, and wherein the flow field ridges form a plurality of flow grooves in the reactant gas flow field for the reactant gas.