Patent ID: 7153605

Claim:
A fuel cell comprising: a plurality of unit cells each including an anode and a cathode; and a plurality of separators respectively positioned sandwiched between adjacent unit cells, each of said separators comprising: a first planar array of parallel, linear air passages, each extending linearly between an inlet and an outlet; a second planar array of parallel linear cooling passages each extending linearly between an inlet and an outlet, said first and second planar arrays being in parallel and separated by a partition wall; a plurality of linear arrays of through-holes respectively associated with said cooling passages and extending through said partition wall, each linear array of through-holes providing fluid communication between its associated cooling passage and an adjacent air passage, each of said linear arrays of through-holes extending along the length of the associated cooling passage, from a through-hole adjacent an inlet of the associated cooling passage to a through-hole adjacent an outlet of the associated cooling passage; and coolant supply means for supplying a mixture of air and dispersed water to said cooling passages, wherein the dispersed water evaporates to cool the unit cell by removal of heat as latent heat and to form vapor which passes through linear arrays of through-holes from the cooling passages into respective adjacent air passages.