Patent ID: 6500579
Filing Date: 2002-12-31
Classification: H01M,Y02E

Abstract:
A fuel cell structure comprising:a unit cell and fuel and oxidant separator panels sandwiching said unit cell, said unit cell including an electrolyte membrane sandwiched between a fuel electrode and an oxidant electrode, said fuel separator panel contacting said fuel electrode and said oxidant separator panel contacting said oxidant electrode so that a fuel supplied to the fuel electrode and an oxidant supplied to the oxidant electrode can react to produce electricity, wherein said fuel separator panel has a plurality of grooves, each pair of grooves being separated by a ridge, the grooves defining fuel flow paths extending from a fluid fuel supply port, for supplying fluid fuel to said fuel electrode, to a fluid fuel discharge port, said oxidant separator panel includes a plurality of oxidant flow paths extending from a fluid oxidant supply port, for supplying fluid oxidant to said oxidant electrode, to a fluid oxidant discharge port, and the grooves in said fuel separator panel extend in parallel within each of a plurality of groups, adjacent groups providing fluid flow paths in opposite directions and being separated by a separation ridge, said ridges between the grooves within each group being narrower than said separation ridges between adjacent groups.