Patent ID: 6926983

Claim:
A fuel cell stack comprising: polymeric membrane fuel cells delimited by metallic plates and supplied with gaseous reactants, and humidifying cells delimited by metallic plates deputed to the humidification of at least one of said gaseous reactants; wherein the fuel cells are provided with gaskets delimiting at least a cell active area housing a first reticulated metallic material, and wherein a fraction of the heat generated by the fuel cells is extracted through a cooling region which passes through a peripheral region of the gaskets and a peripheral region of the metallic plates, said cooling region extracts the fraction of heat generated by the fuel cells by means of circulation of at least one circulating fluid only for a peripheral portion of said active area; and a remaining fraction of said heat is extracted by means of the evaporation of liquid water contained in the at least one of said gaseous reactants present in the fuel cells and deputed to humidification in the humidifying cells, wherein the remaining reaction of said heat is extracted from an inner region of said active area.