Patent ID: 8715871

Claim:
A method for passive water removal from an electrochemical cell or cell stack, the method comprising: providing one electrochemical cell or an arranged group or stack of cells, wherein each cell includes a membrane electrode assembly having an anode side and an opposing cathode side, and a diffusion bonded bipolar plate assembly, the bipolar plate assembly comprising: a water flowfield; an oxygen screen/frame assembly having a screen mesh including a plurality of openings forming fluid-flow spaces; and a hydrophilic porous plate comprising a sintered metallic porous membrane for water-gas separation, which allows water to pass and resists gas intrusion, wherein the hydrophilic porous plate is located between and diffusion bonded to the water flowfield and the oxygen screen/frame assembly, wherein the oxygen screen/frame assembly is located on the cathode side of the membrane electrode assembly; and maintaining the oxygen screen/frame assembly at a pressure greater than the pressure in the water flowfield during operation of the electrochemical cell or cell stack.