Patent ID: 7459227

Claim:
A separator plate for a bipolar plate assembly for a fuel cell comprising: a thin plate having an inlet margin including a pair of reactant gas inlet headers and a coolant inlet header formed therethrough, an exhaust margin including a pair of reactant gas exhaust headers and a coolant exhaust header formed therethrough and a flow field formed on a major face of said thin plate, said flow field including a first set of flow channels, each of said first set of flow channels having an inlet leg with a first longitudinal portion in fluid communication with one of said pair of reactant gas inlet headers and a first transverse portion adjacent said coolant inlet header, a serpentine leg having a first end in fluid communication with said first transverse portion and a second end, and an exhaust leg having a second transverse portion adjacent said coolant exhaust header and in fluid communication with said second end of said serpentine leg and a second longitudinal portion in fluid communication with one of said pair of reactant gas exhaust header, wherein at least one of said first transverse portion of said inlet leg adjacent said coolant inlet header and said second transverse portion of said exhaust leg adjacent said coolant exhaust header defines an undulating flow channel.