Patent ID: 7041407

Claim:
A water coolant plate of a fuel cell stack comprising: a rectangular configuration having opposite first and second edges, each having first and second halves; a coolant inlet port in the form of elongate slot defined in the first half of the first edge; a plurality of coolant channels formed in the rectangle and connected to the coolant inlet port, each coolant channel comprising: a first section arranged in a first guide zone of the rectangle and in fluid communication with the coolant inlet port, the first sections extending from the coolant inlet port and substantially parallel to each other and thus substantially perpendicular to the length of the coolant inlet port, a plurality of second sections arranged in a second guide zone of the rectangle and substantially parallel to each other, the second sections being jointly connected to the first section in a substantially perpendicular manner by a first arcuate connection, the second sections of each coolant channel being substantially parallel to each other and parallel to the length of the coolant inlet port, and a third section arranged in a third guide zone of the rectangle with the plurality of the second sections jointly connected thereto in a substantially perpendicular manner by a second arcuate connection, the third sections being substantially parallel to each other and perpendicular to the length of the coolant inlet port; and a coolant outlet port in the form of elongate slot defined in the second half of the second edge and connected to and in fluid communication with the third sections of the coolant channels; wherein coolant water enters the coolant plate via the coolant inlet port, travels through the coolant channels and leaves the coolant plate via the coolant outlet port, each channel being split into a plurality of second sections in the second zone for introducing turbulence of the coolant water flow through the coolant channel to enhance heat removal.