Patent ID: 7455926
Filing Date: 2008-11-25
Classification: H01M,Y02E

Abstract:
1. An airbreathing fuel cell comprising end plates, a unit cell having a central core, said unit cell being disposed between the two end plates, a fuel distribution manifold disposed centrally of the unit cell to supply a fuel thereto, a single tie bolt extending centrally of the fuel distribution manifold and of the unit cell to unite these elements, fixing nuts screwed onto both ends of the tie bolt to integrally clamp the unit cell between the end plates with O-rings or the like therebetween, and a cell stack formed by stacking a plurality of those unit cells, which comprise a solid polymer electrolyte membrane, an oxygen electrode and a fuel electrode, which are provided on both sides of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane to be opposed to each other, a porous oxygen passage plate provided adjacent and toward the oxygen electrode of each unit cell, separator plates provided adjacent and outside the oxygen passage plate and the fuel electrode, wherein the oxygen passage plate comprises a plurality of opened grooves on a surface thereof opposed to the oxygen electrode, each of the grooves having two ends that are opened to an outer periphery of the porous oxygen passage plate and not extending to and therefore being closed to the central bore, such that the grooves of the oxygen passage plate faces away from the oxygen electrode, wherein said fuel cell further comprises blowers for blasting air into the grooves formed on the oxygen passage the grooves, wherein the blowers are arranged in opposition to the both opened ends of the grooves on the oxygen passage plates of the cell stack to blast air into the grooves, whereby air can be supplied centrally of the oxygen passage plates from both ends of the grooves, and further wherein air supplied by the blowers passes through the porous oxygen plate from the grooves to the oxygen electrode of each unit cell.