Patent ID: 6939636

Claim:
An air cooled fuel cell module comprising: an ion exchange membrane having opposite anode and cathode sides; an electrode borne by each of the anode and cathode sides; a current collector disposed in ohmic electrical contact with each of the anode and cathode sides, and wherein the cathode current collector is fabricated from an air-permeable metal foam having an open-celled microstructure, and which further acts as a heat sink to remove a portion of the heat energy generated by the fuel cell module during operation; an anode heat sink which is fabricated from an air-permeable metal foam, and which is disposed in heat removing relation relative to the anode side of the ion exchange membrane; and an air flow supplied to the fuel cell module, and which includes a first component which passes, at least in part, through the air-permeable metal foam current collector disposed in ohmic electrical contact with the cathode side of the ion exchange membrane, and a second component which passes, at least in part, over the anode heat sink, and wherein the first and second components, in combination, dissipate a preponderance of the heat energy generated during operation of the fuel cell.