Patent ID: 7781122

Claim:
A bipolar plate for use in a fuel cell stack, comprising: a first plate having a first coolant face with a first set of coolant channels and a first set of lands arranged in a first zigzag pattern to provide a first planar flow field at a first elevation, said first zigzag pattern having a first zig leg and a first zag leg wherein said first zig leg and said first zag leg are non-parallely orientated; and a second plate having a second coolant face with a second set of coolant channels and a second set of lands arranged in a second zigzag pattern to provide a second planar flow field at a second elevation diverse from said first elevation, said second zigzag pattern having a second zig leg and a second zag leg wherein said second zig leg and said second zag leg are non-parallely orientated, said second coolant face confronting said first coolant face such that said first and second coolant channels cross one another at an acute resultant angle to define an intermittent interface areas formed adjacent said first and second sets of coolant channels and intermittent cross-linked area providing fluid communication between said first and second planar flow fields.