Patent ID: 7989118

Claim:
A method of manufacturing a fuel cell stack, comprising the steps of: (i) forming a pseudostack, comprising the following steps: (a) assembling multiple fuel cell assemblies, wherein each fuel cell assembly comprises a first electrode, an electrolyte, a second electrode, a first interconnect, and a second interconnect; (b) applying a sealing agent between a perimeter of the first electrode and the first interconnect, or between the second electrode and the second interconnect of each fuel cell assembly; (c) applying a bonding agent between either the first electrode and the first interconnect, or between the second electrode and the second interconnect of each fuel cell assembly; wherein the bonding agent is applied between the electrode and the interconnect to which the sealing agent was applied; (d) heating the pseudostack for curing the sealing agent and the bonding agent, so as to permanently bond the first electrode and the first interconnect, or to permanently bond the second electrode and the second interconnect of each fuel cell assembly; while the electrode and interconnect which did not receive the applied sealing agent and bonding agent remain unsealed; and (e) connecting the unsealed electrode to the respective interconnect, without the sealing or bonding agent; (ii) testing and inspecting the pseudostack for defective fuel cell assemblies and operative, defect-free fuel cell assemblies within the multiple fuel cell assemblies, (iii) disassembling the pseudostack and removing the defective fuel cell assemblies from the pseudostack; and (iv) finally forming the fuel cell stack by reassembling the operative, defect-free fuel cell assemblies, and permanently sealing the fuel cell stack.