Patent ID: 8455150

Claim:
A fuel cell stack having a multi-dimensional reactant flow therethrough, comprising: a plurality of adjacently stacked fuel cell modules each of which includes a plurality of adjacently aligned fuel cells that are connected in electrical series, each of said plurality of fuel cell modules including: a first reactant carrier plate that includes a first plurality of first reactant channels and a first plurality of second reactant channels both on a same side of said first reactant carrier plate; intermediate layers including a membrane electrode assembly layer and first and second diffusion media layers; and a second reactant carrier plate that includes a second plurality of second reactant channels and a second plurality of first reactant channels both on a same side of said second reactant carrier plate, said first plurality of first reactant channels in fluid communication with said second plurality of first reactant channels across said intermediate layers and said first plurality of second reactant channels in fluid communication with said second plurality of second reactant channels across said intermediate layers, wherein each of said membrane electrode assembly layer and said first and second diffusion media layers include first reactant and second reactant headers extending therethrough that facilitate first and second reactant flows across said fuel cell module.