Patent ID: 8927170
Filing Date: 2015-01-06
Classification: H01M,Y02E

Abstract:
1. A flow field plate for a fuel cell comprising: opposing major surfaces for distribution of a reactant and a coolant respectively; reactant ports for the inlet and the outlet of the reactant located on opposing ends of the plate; a reactant flow field comprising a plurality of reactant flow field channels formed in the reactant surface of the plate, the reactant flow field channels opposing an active area for the fuel cell wherein the surface of the plate is planar over the active area; a coolant transition region at each of two ends of the plate comprising reactant transition channels formed in the reactant surface of the plate, the reactant transition channels fluidly connecting the reactant inlet port and the reactant outlet port to the reactant flow field channels; coolant ports for the inlet and the outlet of the coolant located on the side of the flow field plate adjacent the coolant transition region; a coolant flow field comprising a plurality of coolant flow field channels formed in the coolant surface of the plate, wherein the surface of the plate is planar in the active area of each coolant flow field channel; at least one coolant duct formed transverse to the reactant transition channels in one of the coolant transition regions of the coolant surface of the plate, the coolant duct fluidly connected to one of the coolant ports; and coolant transition channels formed in the coolant surface of the coolant transition region fluidly connecting the coolant duct to the coolant flow field channels, wherein the depth of the formed coolant duct is such that the reactant surface of the plate opposite the coolant duct extends beyond the plane of the reactant surface in the planar reactant flow field, and wherein the flow field plate is configured to stack such that the coolant duct is in alignment with a coolant duct of an adjacent fuel cell, and such that a coolant duct of a second flow field plate of the same fuel cell having a depth such that the reactant surface of the second plate opposite the second plate coolant duct extends beyond the plane of the reactant surface in the planar reactant flow field is offset in the stack direction.