Patent ID: 7935452

Claim:
A fuel cell for producing electrical energy, the fuel cell comprising: a first bi-polar plate comprising i) a manifold configured to deliver a gas to a first channel field on a first face of the plate or receive a gas from the first channel field, and ii) a first gasket landing on the first face that peripherally surrounds the manifold on the first face; a second bi-polar plate comprising a i) manifold that substantially aligns with the manifold of the first plate, and ii) a second gasket landing on a face of the second bi-polar plate that peripherally surrounds the second plate manifold, the second bi-polar plate face facing the first face of the first bi-polar plate when the first plate and second plate are disposed adjacent to each other; wherein one of the two bi-polar plates comprises a manifold channel that opens to the manifold on the second face, traverses the substrate from the first face to the second face, and is configured to provide the gas to the first channel field; and Further comprising a gasket disposed between the two bi-polar plates and including a portion that rests between the first gasket landing and the second gasket landing; and a membrane electrode assembly disposed between the first and second bi-polar plates, the membrane electrode assembly including a hydrogen catalyst, an oxygen catalyst and an ion conductive membrane that electrically isolates the hydrogen catalyst from the oxygen catalyst.