US 11,855,310 B2
Flow-field plate
Rune Staeck, Gifhorn (DE)
Assigned to Volkswagen AG, Wolfsburg (DE); and Audi AG, Ingolstadt (DE)
Appl. No. 16/977,007
Filed by AUDI AG, Ingolstadt (DE); and Volkswagen AG, Wolfsburg (DE)
PCT Filed Mar. 24, 2020, PCT No. PCT/EP2020/058140
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Aug. 31, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/224860, PCT Pub. Date Nov. 12, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 10 2019 206 577.5 (DE), filed on May 8, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0059853 A1, Feb. 24, 2022
Int. Cl. H01M 8/0258 (2016.01); H01M 8/04119 (2016.01); H01M 8/2483 (2016.01); H01M 8/0438 (2016.01); B01D 45/08 (2006.01); B01D 46/00 (2022.01); B01D 53/26 (2006.01)
CPC H01M 8/0258 (2013.01) [B01D 45/08 (2013.01); B01D 46/0031 (2013.01); B01D 53/261 (2013.01); H01M 8/04164 (2013.01); H01M 8/2483 (2016.02); H01M 8/04388 (2013.01); H01M 8/04395 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A flow-field plate for distributing a reactant to an electrode or a gas diffusion layer of a fuel cell, comprising:
a gas inlet;
a plurality of channels defining a flow field, wherein given a state of throughflow a pressure gradient is present between the gas inlet and the flow field which cases an exhaust gas flowing into the channels to be drawn toward the gas inlet; and
a water/gas separator fluidically connected to the gas inlet for removing liquid water and/or water vapor from a gas which is connected to the flow field in order to supply the flow field with the gas removed in the water/gas separator, wherein a flow cross-section at the gas inlet or at a gas inlet region is smaller than the flow cross-section at or in a region of the water/gas separator.