Patent ID: 8182940

Claim:
An electrochemical stack cell comprising a plurality of cells arranged side-by-side in a stack, each cell having: a membrane; a first half cell cavity on one side of said membrane and a second half cell cavity on the other side of said membrane; a respective electrode plate at the side of each half cell opposite from said membrane, each electrode plate providing contact between adjacent cells at least for intermediate ones of said cells; a pair of frames, one for one half cell and the other for the other, said cell frames: captivating said membrane between themselves; locating said electrode plates; and having: continuous margins around central voids providing said half cell cavities; duct apertures in said continuous margins providing ducts for flow of electrolyte through said stack for distribution to said cells; electrolyte distribution rebates at opposite inside edges of said margins; and passages in said continuous margins for electrolyte flow from one of said duct apertures, into and out of said half cell at said electrolyte distribution rebates and to another of said duct apertures; wherein: each plate electrode is captivated between said cell frame from one cell and said cell frame from an adjacent cell with at least two portions of said margins of said cell frames extending outside respective edges of said plate electrode, said adjacent cell frames having faces which abut at said portions; said flow passages are formed in said faces of said margins and are closed by abutting opposite frame faces; and through-frame openings are provided in said frames for extending said passages from said abutting faces of said frames to the other, membrane side of said cell frames into said electrolyte distribution rebates.