US 12,334,607 B2
Fuel cell assembly with external manifold for parallel flow
Keith E. Davis, Southbury, CT (US); Lawrence J. Novacco, Brookfiled, CT (US); Lu Han, Beaumont, TX (US); Brandon J. O'Neill, Lebanon, NJ (US); Frank Hershkowitz, Basking Ridge, NJ (US); Rodrigo F. Blanco Gutierrez, Berkeley Heights, NJ (US); and Yesim Igci, Mountainside, NJ (US)
Assigned to ExxonMobil Technology and Engineering Company, Annandale, NJ (US); and FUELCELL ENERGY, INC., Danbury, CT (US)
Filed by ExxonMobil Technology and Engineering Company, Annandale, NJ (US); and FUELCELL ENERGY, INC., Danbury, CT (US)
Filed on Nov. 26, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/695,362.
Prior Publication US 2021/0159523 A1, May 27, 2021
Int. Cl. H01M 8/04276 (2016.01)
CPC H01M 8/04276 (2013.01) 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A fuel cell, comprising:
a cathode comprising a cathode inlet located on a cathode inlet side of the fuel cell, a cathode active area, and a cathode outlet located on a cathode outlet side of the fuel cell, wherein the cathode outlet side and the cathode inlet side are opposite sides of the fuel cell;
an anode comprising an anode inlet located on an anode inlet side of the fuel cell, an extended edge seal input chamber, and an anode active area, wherein the anode inlet side is different from both the cathode inlet side and the cathode outlet side, wherein the extended edge seal input chamber is located outside of the anode and cantilevered over the cathode inlet on the cathode inlet side, and wherein the extended edge seal input chamber is in fluid communication with the anode inlet and an anode active area inlet, wherein the anode active area inlet is located on the cathode inlet side or the cathode outlet side;
an electrolyte matrix layer separating the anode and the cathode; and
wherein the extended edge seal input chamber is configured to allow an anode process gas and a cathode process gas to pass across the anode active area inlet and the cathode inlet in substantially parallel flow paths.