US 12,261,341 B2
Compact fuel cell modules and assemblies
David B. Harvey, Dresden (DE); and Rudolf Coertze, Chemnitz (DE)
Assigned to CH INNOVATIONS INC., Vancouver (CA)
Appl. No. 17/597,639
Filed by CH INNOVATIONS INC., Vancouver (CA)
PCT Filed Jul. 16, 2020, PCT No. PCT/CA2020/050992
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jan. 14, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/007678, PCT Pub. Date Jan. 21, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 102019119304.4 (DE), filed on Jul. 16, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0278347 A1, Sep. 1, 2022
Int. Cl. H01M 8/2483 (2016.01); H01M 8/026 (2016.01); H01M 8/0265 (2016.01); H01M 8/0267 (2016.01); H01M 8/10 (2016.01)
CPC H01M 8/2483 (2016.02) [H01M 8/026 (2013.01); H01M 8/0265 (2013.01); H01M 8/0267 (2013.01); H01M 2008/1095 (2013.01)] 28 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A fuel cell stack comprising:
a plurality of fuel cells configured to provide an oxidant header, a fuel input header and a fuel output header that extend through the plurality of fuel cells along the stack,
wherein each of the plurality of fuel cells comprises a membrane electrode assembly sandwiched between first and second flow field plates, the membrane electrode assembly and flow field plates each having a major surface wherein an interior region is bounded by an interior perimeter and an exterior region bounded by the interior perimeter and an exterior perimeter that encompasses the interior perimeter, and the interior region is formed with a plurality of openings that collectively fill a majority of an area of the interior region, the plurality of openings including at least:
an oxidant opening;
a fuel inlet opening; and
a fuel outlet opening;
wherein:
at least a portion of a perimeter of the oxidant opening is coextensive with the interior perimeter;
at least a portion of the fuel inlet opening and at least a portion of the fuel outlet opening are partly surrounded by at least a portion of the perimeter of the oxidant opening;
the oxidant openings of the flow field plates and membrane electrode assembly are aligned to provide the oxidant header;
the fuel inlet openings of the flow field plates and membrane electrode assembly are aligned to provide the fuel input header; and
the fuel outlet openings of the flow field plates and membrane electrode assembly are aligned to provide the fuel output header;
the first and second flow field plates are respectively formed to provide first and second flow fields respectively located in the exterior regions of the first and second flow field plates that face the membrane electrode assembly and extend substantially circumferentially around the interior region; and
the fuel input header and the fuel output header are both in fluid communication with the first flow field; and
the oxidant header is in fluid communication with the second flow field.