Patent ID: 6613470
Filing Date: 2003-09-02
Classification: H01M,Y02E

Abstract:
A fuel cell stack comprising a plurality of fuel cell units each including an anode electrode, and a cathode electrode, and a solid polymer ion exchange membrane interposed between said anode electrode and said cathode electrode, said plurality of fuel cell units being stacked in a horizontal direction with separators intervening therebetween, whereineach of said fuel cell units has a rectangular shape having a horizontal length longer than a vertical length; and a fuel gas supply/discharge passage and an oxygen-containing gas supply/discharge passage extend through said fuel cell stack for supplying a fuel gas to said fuel cell units through said fuel gas supply/discharge passage, and supplying an oxygen-containing gas to said fuel cell units through said oxygen/containing gas supply/discharge passage, said fuel gas supply/discharge passage including a supply port and a discharge port formed at diagonally opposite portions in each of said fuel cell units, said oxygen-containing gas supply/discharge passage including a supply port and a discharge port formed at the other diagonally opposite portions in each of said fuel cell units; wherein a cooling medium supply/discharge passage for supplying a cooling medium is provided at upper and lower portions in said fuel cell stack, said cooling medium supply/discharge passage including a supply port at a lower portion in said fuel cell stack and a discharge port at an upper portion in said fuel cell stack.