Patent ID: 7125625

Claim:
A fluid-cooled assembly for use in an electrochemical cell stack comprising: at least two gas barriers, wherein a first gas barrier opposes an anode electrode and a last gas barrier opposes a cathode electrode and wherein the gas barriers are approximately parallel; and an array of electronically conductive protrusions disposed across the gas barriers, wherein the electronically conductive protrusions enable electrical communication between the anode electrode and the cathode electrode, wherein the protrusions are inserted into an array of holes, indentations, or combinations thereof in the gas barriers, and wherein the protrusions have a cross section approximately matching a cross section of the holes or indentations, and wherein the gas barriers and the protrusions are metallic; and seals around the protrusions formed by metallurgically bonding the protrusions to the gas barriers, wherein the seal is formed with a metal having a melting point substantially lower than the metals of the protrusions or the gas barriers.