Patent ID: 8623565

Claim:
A fuel cell stack comprising: at least one cathode flow plate ( 20 ) and at least one anode flow plate ( 22 ) parallel to said at least one cathode flow plate ( 20 ), each of said flow plates ( 20 , 22 ) presenting a collector face ( 24 ) and a membrane face ( 26 ) parallel to and facing opposite said collector face ( 24 ), each of said flow plates ( 20 , 22 ) defining an inlet hole ( 38 ) and an outlet hole ( 40 ) each extending perpendicular to said membrane face ( 26 ) and said collector face ( 24 ) for distributing and collecting fluid, said collector face ( 24 ) of each of said flow plates ( 20 , 22 ) defining outer branches ( 61 ) and inner branches ( 62 ) and stems ( 63 ) and sub-branches ( 64 ) for conveying fluid said inlet hole ( 38 ) of each of said flow plates ( 20 , 22 ) being trifurcated into a pair of said outer branches ( 61 ) and one of said stems ( 63 ), wherein said one stem ( 63 ) is disposed between said pair of outer branches ( 61 ), said one stem ( 63 ) is bifurcated into two of said inner branches ( 62 ), and each of said branches ( 61 , 62 ) extending from said inlet hole ( 38 ) is bifurcated into a pair of said sub-branches ( 64 ), said outlet hole ( 40 ) of each of said flow plates ( 20 , 22 ) being trifurcated into a pair of said outer branches ( 61 ) and one of said stems ( 63 ), wherein said one stem ( 63 ) is disposed between said pair of outer branches ( 61 ), said one stem ( 63 ) is bifurcated into two of said inner branches ( 62 ), and each of said branches ( 61 , 62 ) extending from said outlet hole ( 40 ) is bifurcated into a pair of said sub-branches ( 64 ), said membrane face ( 26 ) of each of said flow plates ( 20 , 22 ) defining a plurality of inlet-side manifolds ( 52 ), wherein each one of said inlet-side manifolds ( 52 ) is disposed along and in fluid communication with one of said sub-branches ( 64 ) extending from said inlet hole ( 38 ), said membrane face ( 26 ) of each of said flow plates ( 20 , 22 ) defining a plurality of outlet-side manifolds ( 54 ), wherein each one of said outlet-side manifolds ( 54 ) is disposed along and in fluid communication with one of said sub-branches ( 64 ) extending from said outlet hole ( 40 ), said membrane face ( 26 ) of each of said flow plates ( 20 , 22 ) defining a plurality of active channels ( 46 , 48 ) interconnecting said inlet-side manifolds ( 52 ) and said outlet-side manifolds ( 54 ), wherein each one of said inlet-side manifolds ( 52 ) is trifurcated into three of said active channels ( 46 , 48 ), and said three active channels ( 46 , 48 ) interconnect said inlet-side manifold ( 52 ) with one of said outlet-side manifolds ( 52 ).