Patent ID: 8603692

Claim:
A fuel cell stack, comprising a stack of three or more fuel cells, wherein each of the fuel cells comprises: an assembly in which an anode electrode and a cathode electrode are respectively joined to either side of an electrolytic membrane, the anode electrode being located closer to one end, in a stack direction of the fuel cells, than the cathode electrode; and a plurality of anode gas flow channels through which a fuel gas to be supplied to the anode electrode flows, a plurality of cathode gas flow channels through which an oxidant gas to be supplied to the cathode electrode flows, and a plurality of a refrigerant flow channels through which a refrigerant flows, which are formed independently from each other in the assembly; wherein the plurality of refrigerant flow channels are disposed at a plurality of sites along the stack direction, each of the plurality of refrigerant flow channels dissipating heat between an anode electrode of one fuel cell of mutually adjacent fuel cells and a cathode electrode of the other fuel cell using the refrigerant; wherein the plurality of refrigerant flow channels communicate with a refrigerant supply port and a refrigerant discharge port; wherein in at least one but not all pairs of mutually adjacent fuel cells, a heat insulating barrier is installed between an anode electrode in one of a pair and a cathode electrode in the other of the pair, and one of the plurality of refrigerant flow channels is formed at one of between the heat insulating barrier and the anode electrode and between the heat insulating barrier and the cathode electrode, while an air layer which does not communicate with the refrigerant supply port and the refrigerant discharge port, and to which the refrigerant is not supplied, is formed at the other.