A bipolar plate for a fuel cell includes a corrugated plate and a second plate, which is arranged on the corrugated plate in a sealing manner. The corrugated plate has a wave pattern of ascending and descending waves. The corrugated plate has a hole pattern with between one and three parallel rows arranged to for the passage of a gas substantially transversely to the wave shape. Hole sizes and shaped in these three rows are selected in specified relationships to optimize the fuel cell performance.

The present disclosure provides fuel cell units formed from a plurality of flow plate assemblies disposed in a stack configuration, with adjacent flow plate assemblies in the stack configuration disposed at an offset angle relative to each other. Fuel cell stacks can be formed from a plurality of the fuel cell units placed into a stack aligned with each other with no offset. The present disclosure also provides for methods of forming the fuel cell units, fuel cell stacks, and fuel cell systems containing the former.

An electrically-conductive member having sufficient corrosion resistivity even when the electrically-conductive member is exposed to high potential environment and a method of manufacturing the electrically-conductive member are offered. An electrically-conductive member is obtained by a mist CVD method, by forming a metal oxide film on a base member of a separator, and the electrically-conductive member has an active potential range and a passive potential range in an anode polarization curve that is measured in a sulfuric acid aqueous solution having a sulfuric acid concentration that is 5.010.sup.4 mol/dm.sup.3 at pH3 and having a temperature of 25 C., an anode current density that is 110.sup.7 A/cm.sup.2 or less in the passive potential range, and the passive potential range reaching to an electric potential that is 1V.

Methods and systems are provided for manufacturing a bipolar plate for a redox flow battery. In one example, the bipolar plate is fabricated by a roll-to-roll process. The bipolar plate includes a non-conductive substrate that is coupled to a negative electrode on a first surface and coupled to a positive electrode on a second surface, the first surface opposite of the second surface.

Provided is a fuel cell capable of easily forming an interconnector part electrically connecting adjacent unit cells in a planar array fuel cell. In the fuel cell, an electrode layer on each of two surfaces of an electrolyte membrane is divided into a plurality of electrode regions by a dividing groove; a unit cell is constituted by a stacked structure including the electrolyte membrane, one electrode region on one surface of the electrolyte membrane, and one electrode region on the other surface thereof; and the plurality of the unit cells are connected in series by the interconnector part formed in the electrolyte membrane. The interconnector part is formed by heating and carbonizing a proton conductive resin in the electrolyte membrane. The proton conductive resin can be heated by laser beam irradiation.

A method for producing a bipolar plate for an electrochemical cell, wherein a fluid-impermeable carrier is provided and a fluid-impermeable coating is applied to at least one subregion of a surface of the carrier, wherein the coating is applied by at least one of cold gas spraying, plating, in particular roll cladding, or high-velocity flame spraying, in particular with air or oxygen as a combustion gas. A bipolar plate for an electrochemical cell.

A method for manufacturing a composite bipolar plate from a composition including at least one lamellar graphite and at least one thermoplastic polymer. This method includes dry sieving of the composition with a sieve for which the mesh diameter is less than or equal to 1,000 m, dry blending of the sieved composition, deposition of the blended composition in a mold, this mold preferably being pre-heated, molding by thermocompression of the blended composition with induction heating of the mold, and removal from the mold of the thermocompressed composition leading to the obtaining of the composite bipolar plate. A composite bipolar plate manufactured by this method, to the use of this composite bipolar plate as well as to a fuel cell including such a composite bipolar plate.

The present disclosure relates to fuel cells, in particular to high-temperature air-cooled fuel cells. A fuel cell 1 comprises a bipolar plate 2 and a membrane-electrode assembly 3. The bipolar plate 2 comprises an anode plate 5, a cathode plate 6 and a layer 7 of air cooling channels between the anode plate 5 and the cathode plate 6. Channels for an oxygen-containing gas are made in the cathode plate 6. Channels 10 for hydrogen are made in the anode plate 5, which are covered by the membrane-electrode assembly 3 contacting the anode plate 5. A fuel cell stack comprises at least two fuel cells, wherein the membrane-electrode assembly of one fuel cell contacts the anode plate of said one fuel cell, thus covering the channels for hydrogen, and contacts the cathode plate of said another fuel cell, which adjoins said one fuel cell, thus covering the channels for an oxygen-containing gas. The technical effect consists in reducing weight-dimension characteristics of the fuel cell and the fuel cell stack, while simultaneously reducing power consumption required for cooling, and increasing specific capacity per unit weight and power efficiency.

Solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell stacks require a significant nominal compressive loading for proper operation and sealing. This loading is typically provided using relatively thick end plates and tight straps. In certain fuel cell applications, one or more solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell stacks are secured in larger enclosures (e.g. for isolation and crashworthiness in automotive applications). The enclosures however can themselves be sturdy enough to provide the necessary loading on the fuel cell stacks within. The present invention takes advantage of that to allow for use of thinner end plates and/or weaker straps which would otherwise be insufficient for use.

A solid oxide fuel cell having an electric power generating element unit that is configured by sandwiching a solid electrolyte layer between a fuel electrode layer and an oxygen electrode layer with a pore that is present in the solid electrolyte layer and is covered with a sealing material. In addition, a pore that is present in an interconnector, which is electrically connected to the fuel electrode layer or the oxygen electrode layer, is covered with the sealing material. Consequently, the solid oxide fuel cell is capable of easily preventing gas leakage.