Patent ID: 7666536

Claim:
A membrane electrochemical generator, comprising: a multiplicity of reaction cells, each said reaction cell comprises an anodic chamber and a cathodic chamber separated by a proton exchange membrane, each said reaction cell is delimited by a pair of conductive bipolar plates, so that one of said pair of conductive bipolar plate is adjacent to the anodic chamber and the other of said pair of conductive bipolar plate is adjacent to the cathodic chamber, each of said pair of conductive bipolar plates comprises a first planar side and a second planar side on the reverse side of the first planar side, and at least one of said pair of conductive bipolar plates comprises a multiplicity of fluid injection calibrated holes, wherein one end of the calibrated hole opens to a source of water on the first planar side of said conductive bipolar plate and the other end of the calibrated hole opens to an adjacent chamber on the other second planar side of said conductive bipolar plate, so that the water flows from the first planar side of the bipolar plate through the calibrated hole to the adjacent chamber, said anodic chamber and said cathodic chamber each has an electrically conductive reticulated element, wherein the reticulated element is a tridimensional network of wires that electrically connects the conductive bipolar plates to the electrode and distributes a flow of gaseous reactants in the anodic chamber or the cathodic chamber where the reticulate material resides, said electrochemical generator further comprising a multiplicity of cooling cells, each of the cooling cells being interposed between two reaction cells, said cooling cell further comprising: a perimetrical portion having a central hollow portion, side openings for the passage of said cooling fluid, at least one fluid collection channel connected to said side openings, feed openings for the passage of said flow of gaseous reactants, and discharge openings for discharging the reaction products and residual reactants; and an electrically conductive reticulated element residing in the central hollow portion, wherein a side channel fluidly connects the side opening with the hollow central portion, and wherein said cooling fluid traverses the cooling cell prior to crossing said fluid injection holes into at least one adjacent reaction cell, pre-heating counter-currently or concurrently with respect to at least one gaseous flow entering said reaction cells.