Patent ID: 6794077
Filing Date: 2004-09-21
Classification: H01M,Y02E

Abstract:
A fuel cell comprising:an anode substrate and a cathode substrate and a proton exchange membrane disposed between said substrates; an anode flow field plate providing a fuel reactant gas flow field adjacent said anode substrate; a cathode flow field plate providing an oxidant reactant gas flow field adjacent said cathode substrate; said fuel reactant gas flow field receiving fuel from a fuel reactant gas inlet manifold and exhausting into a fuel reactant gas exhaust manifold; said oxidant reactant gas flow field receiving oxidant from an oxidant reactant gas inlet manifold and exhausting into an oxidant reactant gas exit manifold; and at least one of said flow field plates being porous and having a water flow field on a side of said at least one of said flow field plates opposite the corresponding one of said reactant gas flow fields, said water flow field being dead ended in the region of the corresponding one of said reactant gas inlet manifolds and opening into the corresponding one of said reactant gas exit manifolds, and having a flow restrictor at the exhaust end thereof to maintain the pressure of reactant gas in said one flow reactant gas field above the pressure of reactant gas in said corresponding one of said reactant gas exit manifolds.