A cooling plate assembly includes an anode half-plate having an anode upper surface and an opposing anode lower surface, and a cathode half-plate having a cathode upper surface and an opposing cathode lower surface, the cathode lower surface configured to engage the anode upper surface. The assembly further includes a cooling tube disposed between and engaging the anode upper surface and the cathode lower surface.

A cooling system is provided for use with a fuel cell. The cooling system comprises a first heat exchanger fluidly connected to an outlet passage of the fuel cell. The first heat exchanger can be configured to condense at least a portion of a fluid passing through the outlet passage of the fuel cell into liquid water. The cooling system can also comprise a second heat exchanger fluidly connected to an outlet passage of the first heat exchanger and an inlet passage of the fuel cell. The second heat exchanger can be configured to cool a fluid passing into the inlet passage of the fuel cell. In addition, the outlet passage of the fuel cell and the inlet passage of the fuel cell can be fluidly connected to a cathode of the fuel cell, and the inlet passage of the fuel cell can be configured to supply water to the cathode.

A method of manufacturing gas diffusion layers (GDL) with a defined pattern of hydrophobic and hydrophilic regions is used to produce electrically conductive porous materials with distributed wettability. The method includes a) Coating the external and internal surfaces of a porous base material made of carbon fiber or Titanium with Fluoroethylene-Propylene (FEP) and/or perfluoroalkoxy (PFA) and/or Ethylene-Tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) or any other hydrophobic polymer; b) Exposing the coated material to irradiation through a blocking mask such that only parts of the coated porous material are exposed; and c) Immersing the previously exposed material in a monomer solution and heating to a temperature higher than 45° C., resulting in the graft co-polymerization of monomers on the FEP layer.

A method of shutting down operation of a fuel cell system is disclosed, comprising a fuel cell stack, the method comprising the sequential steps of: i) ceasing a supply of fuel to the fuel cell stack; ii) closing a shut-off valve on an exhaust line in fluid communication with a cathode system of the fuel cell system, the cathode system comprising a cathode fluid flow path passing through the fuel cell stack; iii) pressurizing the cathode system with an air compressor in fluid communication with a cathode air inlet port in the fuel cell stack; and iv) ejecting water from the cathode flow path.

A fuel cell power system including at least one fuel cell, a ram air system and a cooling circuit in which coolant is intended to circulate for regulating a temperature of the at least one fuel cell. The cooling circuit comprises a ram air heat exchanger in the ram air system and the ram air system comprises a nozzle. The fuel cell power system further comprises a water tank and the fuel cell power system is arranged to flow water from the water tank to the ram air system so as to spray water in ram air via the nozzle. Thus, dimensioning of the ram air system which includes the ram air heat exchanger is reduced.

A bipolar plate having side ports is described for use with an electrochemical cell. A side port having a high aspect ratio will have an effect on the partial pressure of the reactant gasses and prevent high pressure drop of the working fluid transport to the electrodes. The membrane electrode assembly may have a high aspect ratio and the port opening may be on the long side of the bipolar plate. The electrochemical cell may be configured in an enclosure that is maintained at less than atmospheric pressure which further increases the need for low pressure drop fuel deliver to the electrodes, especially in electrochemical compressor applications.

An emission part of a cooling device has a plurality of emission holes. In the emission part, a separator urged by coil springs is disposed, and needles respectively corresponding to the emission holes are provided on the separator. As the separator is moved to a closing position, leading end portions of the needles are inserted into the emission holes to close the emission holes. Thus, when emission of water through the emission holes is stopped in the emission part, water inside the emission holes is pushed out and removed by the leading end portions of the needles inserted into the emission holes. This can reduce the likelihood of clogging of the emission holes due to water that cools a radiator by its latent heat of evaporation.

A heat exchanger cooling system includes: a passage extending from a water tank and branching off into a first passage and a second passage at a branch portion provided in the middle of extension of the passage, the passage including a water discharge portion provided on a distal end side of the first passage so as to face a radiator; a pump configured to send water into the passage from the water tank; a first opening-closing valve provided in the first passage and configured to open and close the first passage; a second opening-closing valve provided in the second passage and configured to open and close the second passage; and a controlling portion configured to control an operation of the pump and to control opening and closing of the first opening-closing valve and the second opening-closing valve.

An integrated power generation and exhaust processing system includes a fuel cell system configured to generate power and to separate CO.sub.2 included in exhaust output from the fuel cell system, and an exhaust processing system configured to at least one of sequester or densify CO.sub.2 separated from the exhaust output from the fuel cell system.

An evaporative cooling type fuel cell system and a cooling control method for the same are provided. The fuel cell system includes a stack that generates electric power by reacting hydrogen as fuel with air as an oxidant. The method includes adjusting an operation pressure of the stack based on a current operation temperature of the stack and adjusting the amount of water supplied to the stack from a water reservoir based on the current operation temperature. The water is supplied to a cathode of the stack. Thus, a compact-simplified fuel cell system is provided, thereby reducing manufacturing costs and weight.