An electrochemical element stack that includes a plurality of stacked electrochemical elements, each of the electrochemical elements including a plate-like support provided with an internal passage. The plate-like support includes: a gas-permeable portion through which gas passes between the internal passage located inside the plate-like support and the outside; an electrochemical reaction portion covering the gas-permeable portion; and a first penetrated portion forming a supply passage through which fuel gas flows from the outside of the plate-like support to the internal passage. The plate-like supports of two adjacent electrochemical elements are opposed, an outer face of the first electrochemical element on which the electrochemical reaction portion is arranged is electrically connected to an outer face of the second electrochemical element on which the electrochemical reaction portion is not arranged, and a flowing portion through which air flows along the two adjacent outer faces is formed between the two outer faces.

The invention relates to a bipolar plate (10) for a fuel cell stack. The bipolar plate (10) respectively has two profiled separator plates (12, 14) respectively having an active area (16) and two distribution areas (18, 20) for supplying and discharging reaction gases and coolant to or from the active area (16), wherein the separator plates (12, 14) are designed and arranged on top of each other such that the respective bipolar plate (10) has separate channels (28, 30, 32) for the reaction gases and the coolant, which channels connect ports (22, 24, 26) for reaction gases and coolant of both distribution areas (18, 20) to each other. In the mounted fuel cell stack, the channels (28, 30) for the reaction gases are respectively bordered by a surface of a separator plate (12, 14) and a surface of a gas diffusion layer (58). It is provided that the bipolar plate (10) have an impermeable first dividing plate (38), which respectively divides the channels (28) for a reaction gas in an inlet area (40) of the active area (16) into two volume areas and extends in the flow direction (42) of the reaction gas, wherein only one volume area of the channel (28) is adjacent to the gas diffusion layer (58). The subject matter of the invention is also a fuel cell stack with such bipolar plates (10), as well as a fuel cell system with a fuel cell stack according to the invention.

The invention relates to a bipolar plate (10) for a fuel cell stack. The bipolar plate (10) respectively has two profiled separator plates (12, 14) respectively having an active area (16) and two distribution areas (18, 20) for supplying and discharging reaction gases and coolant to or from the active area (16), wherein the separator plates (12, 14) are designed and arranged on top of each other such that the respective bipolar plate (10) has separate channels (28, 30, 32) for the reaction gases and the coolant, which channels connect ports (22, 24, 26) for reaction gases and coolant of both distribution areas (18, 20) to each other. In the mounted fuel cell stack, the channels (28, 30) for the reaction gases are respectively bordered by a surface of a separator plate (12, 14) and a surface of a gas diffusion layer (58). It is provided that the bipolar plate (10) have an impermeable first dividing plate (38), which respectively divides the channels (28) for a reaction gas in an inlet area (40) of the active area (16) into two volume areas and extends in the flow direction (42) of the reaction gas, wherein only one volume area of the channel (28) is adjacent to the gas diffusion layer (58). The subject matter of the invention is also a fuel cell stack with such bipolar plates (10), as well as a fuel cell system with a fuel cell stack according to the invention.

In terminal structure, one surface of a current collection plate is positioned adjacent to a stack body of power generation cells. A plate joint surface of an intermediate plate is joined to the other surface of the current collection plate. A rod terminal is joined to a terminal joint surface of the intermediate plate. A terminal joint portion for joining the intermediate plate and the rod terminal together is provided at the center of the intermediate plate as viewed in the stacking direction. A plate joint portion for joining the current collection plate and the intermediate plate together is provided on the outer circumferential side of the intermediate plate as viewed in the stacking direction.

The invention relates to a fuel cell system and associated method of manufacture. The fuel cell system has at least a first surface region and a second surface region, wherein the first surface region is more hydrophilic than the second surface region, wherein the first and second surface regions are arranged in accordance with a parameter distribution of the fuel cell system.

A proton-exchange-membrane fuel cell bipolar plate includes a metal substrate having a bulk portion and a surface portion including an anticorrosive, conductive binary phosphide material having a formula (I):

A.sub.xP.sub.y(I),

where A is an alkali metal, alkaline earth metal, transition metal, post-transition metal, or metalloid, x, y is each a number independently selected from 1 to 15, and the binary phosphide material is configured to impart anticorrosive and conductive properties to the metal substrate.

A fuel cell includes: a membrane electrode gas diffusion layer assembly in which a membrane electrode assembly is sandwiched by a pair of gas diffusion layers; an insulating member formed into a frame shape, and being in contact with an outer peripheral portion of the membrane electrode gas diffusion layer assembly; and first and second separators sandwiching the membrane electrode gas diffusion layer assembly and the insulating member.

A method of applying a coating to a flow field plate of a fuel cell. The method includes applying a solution including a metal-containing precursor and a solvent to at least a portion of a surface of a flow field plate, and evaporating the solvent to form a coating on the at least the portion of the surface of the flow field plate.

To provide a space-saving bipolar plate for a fuel cell comprising an anode plate and a cathode plate, anode gas channels and cathode gas channels lead from main gas ports on opposite sides into an active area and are distributed across the width of said area such that they are subsequently diverted towards an opposite distribution area, and the coolant channels branch in the distribution area and, after branching, are diverted towards the anode gas channels and towards the cathode gas channels and, in each region of overlap with the anode gas channels and the cathode gas channels, are diverted collectively such that the coolant channels lead, together with the anode gas channels and the cathode gas channels, into the active area with no overlap and alternatingly with said anode gas channels and cathode gas channels.

A bonding method in which more variety of materials can be bonded than a conventional anodic bonding method includes: a disposing step of disposing an oxygen ion conductor and a bonded material to be bonded to the oxygen ion conductor such that they are brought in contact with each other; a connecting step of connecting the oxygen ion conductor to a negative side of a voltage application device and connecting the bonded material to a positive side of the voltage application device; and a voltage applying step of applying a voltage between the oxygen ion conductor and the bonded material so as to bond the oxygen ion conductor and the bonded material, wherein abutting surfaces of the oxygen ion conductor and the bonded material are processed such that they are in close contact with each other.