A cell including: a body having a first end portion and a second end portion; a first electrode layer electrically connected to the body; a solid electrolyte layer located on the first electrode layer; and a second electrode layer located on the solid electrolyte layer, wherein the body includes a plurality of gas-flow passages passing through the body from the first end portion to the second end portion; and the plurality of gas-flow passages include: one or more center-shifted gas-flow passages that include: a central portion and a first end portion; wherein a center of the one or more center-shifted gas-flow passages at the central portion is laterally shifted from a center of the one or more center- shifted gas-flow passages at the first end portion and a diameter of the one or more center-shifted gas-flow passages gradually increases from the central portion to the first end portion.

A bipolar plate structure for a fuel cell includes a cathode bipolar plate having a first flow field section to form cathode channels between the first flow field section and a first gas diffusion layer and a first land section to form coolant channels. An anode bipolar plate has a second flow field section to form anode channels between the second flow field section and a second gas diffusion layer and a second land section to form coolant channels. The cathode channels have an interdigitated channel structure, and the anode channels have a parallel channel structure. An air inlet manifold hole is formed along one of two long-side edge portions of a reaction region in the cathode and anode bipolar plates. An air outlet manifold hole is formed along the other of the two long-side edge portions of the reaction region.

A fuel cell catalyst layer includes a plurality of carbon particles, a plurality of catalyst particles, and at least one plate-shaped carbon member disposed between the plurality of carbon particles. The plurality of catalyst particles are supported on surfaces of the plurality of carbon particles. The plate-shaped carbon member may be replaced with a rod-shaped carbon member.

A fuel cell catalyst layer includes a plurality of carbon particles, a plurality of catalyst particles, and at least one plate-shaped carbon member disposed between the plurality of carbon particles. The plurality of catalyst particles are supported on surfaces of the plurality of carbon particles. The plate-shaped carbon member may be replaced with a rod-shaped carbon member.

A power generation method includes providing power from a first DC power source to a load, while a second DC power source is electrically disconnected from the load, electrically connecting the second DC power source to the load and providing power from the second DC power source to the load if an output voltage from the first DC power source drops below a threshold voltage and an output voltage from the second DC power source is not below the threshold voltage, and electrically disconnecting the first DC power source from the load if an output current of the first DC power source is below a threshold current.

A power generation method includes providing power from a first DC power source to a load, while a second DC power source is electrically disconnected from the load, electrically connecting the second DC power source to the load and providing power from the second DC power source to the load if an output voltage from the first DC power source drops below a threshold voltage and an output voltage from the second DC power source is not below the threshold voltage, and electrically disconnecting the first DC power source from the load if an output current of the first DC power source is below a threshold current.

A fuel cell system with reduced leakage and a method of assembling a fuel cell system. Bipolar plates within the system include reactant channels and coolant channels that are fluidly coupled to inlet and outlet flowpaths, all of which are formed within a coolant-engaging or reactant-engaging surface of the plate. One or more seals are also formed on the fluid-engaging surface to help reduce leakage by maintaining fluid isolation of the reactants and coolant as they flow through their respective channels and flowpaths that are defined between adjacently-placed plates. The seal—with its combination of in-plane and out-of-plane dimensions—forms a substantially hollow volume, into which a plug is placed to reduce the tendency of the seal to form a shunted flow of the coolant or reactant around the intended active area of the plate. A fluid port intersection is integrally formed with the seal and is formed to be fluidly cooperative with the volume, and is capable of accepting the introduction of a fluent precursor of the plug material such that upon curing, the precursor material forms a substantially rigid insert that continuously fills both the volume and intersection, thereby increasing the resistance of the plug to movement and the seal to shunted flow. In one form, the geometry of the fluent material injection site is such that it promotes plug anchoring within its intended location, while also providing a manufacturing aid to visually inspect for plug installation, as well as to serve as a bipolar plate stacking alignment locator and verification.

A light-driven fuel cell includes a cathode, an anode, and a proton-permeable membrane between the anode and the cathode. The anode includes a photocatalyst for anaerobic methane oxidation reaction, and when the anode is supplied with methane and water and is irradiated with light, methanol, protons and electrons are generated by anaerobic methane oxidation reaction from the methane and the water supplied to the anode; the protons pass through the proton-permeable membrane and move to the cathode; and the electrons move to the cathode via an external circuit. The cathode includes a photocatalyst for aerobic methane oxidation reaction, and when the cathode is supplied with methane and oxygen and is irradiated with light, methanol and water are generated by aerobic methane oxidation reaction from the methane and the oxygen supplied to the cathode and the protons and the electrons moved from the anode.

An example fuel cell stack component includes a metallic layer applied to the component and an oxide layer applied to the metallic layer. The oxide layer includes a chemical component that is not in the metallic layer.

The present invention includes a fuel cell system having a plurality of adjacent electrochemical cells formed of an anode layer, a cathode layer spaced apart from the anode layer, and an electrolyte layer disposed between the anode layer and the cathode layer. The fuel cell system also includes at least one interconnect, the interconnect being structured to conduct free electrons between adjacent electrochemical cells. Each interconnect includes a primary conductor embedded within the electrolyte layer and structured to conduct the free electrons.