Patent ID: 7718298

Claim:
A bipolar plate for a fuel cell comprising: a flowfield including an active surface with an inlet region and an outlet region, the active surface in communication with the inlet region and the outlet region and having a plurality of flow channels formed therein, the plurality of flow channels defining a plurality of lands, each of the lands being disposed between a pair of the flow channels, wherein the plurality of flow channels includes a first flow channel and a second flow channel, the first flow channel disposed adjacent the second flow channel in the active surface of the flowfield, wherein the first flow channel has a first region disposed before a bifurcation, a second region having at least two subchannels, and a third region disposed after a convergence of the at least two subchannels, the first region, the second region, and the third region together forming a repeating unit of the first flow channel, the first flow channel including a plurality of the repeating units along a linear length of the first flow channel between the inlet region and the outlet region, and wherein the second flow channel has a first region disposed before a bifurcation, a second region having at least two subchannels, and a third region disposed after a convergence of the at least two subchannels, the first region, the second region and the third region together forming a repeating unit of the second flow channel, the second flow channel including a plurality of the repeating units along a linear length of the second flow channel between the inlet region and the outlet region.