US 11,901,591 B2
Fuel cell flow field design for thermal management
Matthew Paul Paone, Burnaby (CA); Sean Michael Mackinnon, Vancouver (CA); Raoul Jacob Kingma, Langley (CA); Sheilah Melissa Galati, Vancouver (CA); and Greg John Montie, Squamish (CA)
Assigned to Loop Energy Inc., Burnaby (CA)
Filed by LOOP ENERGY INC., Burnaby (CA)
Filed on Jan. 18, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/151,652.
Application 17/151,652 is a continuation of application No. 16/138,149, filed on Sep. 21, 2018, granted, now 10,930,942.
Application 16/138,149 is a continuation of application No. PCT/CA2017/050358, filed on Mar. 21, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/311,901, filed on Mar. 22, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2021/0202962 A1, Jul. 1, 2021
Int. Cl. H01M 8/0265 (2016.01); H01M 8/0267 (2016.01); H01M 8/0258 (2016.01); H01M 8/0263 (2016.01); H01M 8/04007 (2016.01); H01M 8/04701 (2016.01); H01M 8/04746 (2016.01); H01M 8/2465 (2016.01); H01M 8/10 (2016.01)
CPC H01M 8/0265 (2013.01) [H01M 8/0258 (2013.01); H01M 8/0263 (2013.01); H01M 8/0267 (2013.01); H01M 8/04074 (2013.01); H01M 8/04723 (2013.01); H01M 8/04768 (2013.01); H01M 8/2465 (2013.01); H01M 2008/1095 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A fuel cell plate assembly comprising:
(a) a first reactant flow field plate comprising:
(i) a first major surface;
(ii) a second major surface;
(iii) a plurality of first reactant channels on said first major surface for directing a first reactant across said first reactant flow field plate in a first reactant flow direction;
wherein said first major surface and said second major surface are oppositely facing major surfaces,
(b) a second reactant flow field plate comprising
(i) a third major surface;
(ii) a fourth major surface;
(iii) a plurality of second reactant channels on said third major surface for directing a second reactant across said second reactant flow field plate in a second reactant flow direction;
wherein said third major surface and said fourth major surface are oppositely facing major surfaces,
wherein:
said first reactant flow field plate further comprises a first plurality of secondary channels on said second major surface and/or said second reactant flow field plate further comprises a second plurality of secondary channels on said fourth major surface,
said second reactant flow field plate and said first reactant flow field plate are stacked so that said second major surface cooperates with said fourth major surface to define a plurality of coolant channels between said first reactant flow field plate and said second reactant flow field plate for directing a coolant in a coolant flow direction,
said plurality of first reactant channels decrease in cross-sectional area along at least a portion of their length in said first reactant flow direction, and
said plurality of coolant channels decrease in cross-sectional area along at least a portion of their length in said coolant flow direction_.