A fuel cell assembly includes a first bipolar plate, a second bipolar plate, and a diffusion-electrode assembly. A first top surface of the first plate includes a first seal protruding upwardly and a first raised feed channel adjacent the first seal and protruding upwardly. A second bottom surface of the second plate includes a second seal protruding downwardly and a second raised feed channel adjacent the second seal and protruding downwardly. The diffusion-electrode assembly includes a membrane layer having a membrane frame extending therefrom and two gas diffusion layers. The first and second plates are arranged parallel, the first and second seals align with each other, and the first and second raised feed channels align with each other. The first and second raised feed channels contact the membrane frame arranged therebetween so as to prevent mechanical deformations of the first and second plates.

A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell module and an oxidant gas temperature adjustment device for adjusting a temperature of an oxidant gas supplied to the fuel cell module. The fuel cell module includes a first fuel cell and a second fuel cell. The first fuel cell is at least configured to reform a fuel gas. The fuel cell system includes a temperature control unit for setting a target temperature of the oxidant gas supplied to the fuel cell module such that a temperature of the first fuel cell and a temperature of the second fuel cell do not exceed a prescribed upper-limit temperature and controlling the oxidant gas temperature adjustment device based on of the target temperature, and the temperature control unit calculates the target temperature.

A manufacturing arrangement for a fuel cell stack or at least a unit fuel cell of the fuel cell stack includes at least a pre-arrangement site for arranging a membrane electrode assembly and a bipolar plate in a predefined orientation to each other, wherein the bipolar plate has at least one opening and/or at least one specific contour, and wherein the membrane electrode assembly and the bipolar plate are oriented to each other in such a way that the membrane electrode assembly covers at least one opening in the bipolar plate and/or extends over the bipolar plate in at least one area; wherein the manufacturing arrangement further includes at least one cutting site with a cutting device which is adapted to cut the membrane electrode assembly in a predetermined area so that the membrane electrode assembly has a cut opening, which resembles the at least one opening of the bipolar plate, and/or at least one cut contour, which resembles the at least one contour of the bipolar plate, and/or at least one cut alignment structure for aligning the unit fuel cells in a fuel cell stack, as well as a corresponding manufacturing method.

A manufacturing arrangement for a fuel cell stack or at least a unit fuel cell of the fuel cell stack includes at least a pre-arrangement site for arranging a membrane electrode assembly and a bipolar plate in a predefined orientation to each other, wherein the bipolar plate has at least one opening and/or at least one specific contour, and wherein the membrane electrode assembly and the bipolar plate are oriented to each other in such a way that the membrane electrode assembly covers at least one opening in the bipolar plate and/or extends over the bipolar plate in at least one area; wherein the manufacturing arrangement further includes at least one cutting site with a cutting device which is adapted to cut the membrane electrode assembly in a predetermined area so that the membrane electrode assembly has a cut opening, which resembles the at least one opening of the bipolar plate, and/or at least one cut contour, which resembles the at least one contour of the bipolar plate, and/or at least one cut alignment structure for aligning the unit fuel cells in a fuel cell stack, as well as a corresponding manufacturing method.

A fuel cell stack includes: a substrate; a first fuel cell including a fuel side electrode, an electrolyte, and an oxygen side electrode on the substrate, the first fuel cell being a single fuel cell; a second fuel cell including a fuel side electrode, an electrolyte, and an oxygen side electrode on the substrate, the second fuel cell being a single fuel cell; an interconnector film electrically connecting the fuel side electrode of the first fuel cell and the oxygen side electrode of the second fuel cell; and a porous ceramic film covering at least the interconnector film in a region between the fuel side electrode of the first fuel cell and the fuel side electrode of the second fuel cell.

A fuel cell stack includes: a substrate; a first fuel cell including a fuel side electrode, an electrolyte, and an oxygen side electrode on the substrate, the first fuel cell being a single fuel cell; a second fuel cell including a fuel side electrode, an electrolyte, and an oxygen side electrode on the substrate, the second fuel cell being a single fuel cell; an interconnector film electrically connecting the fuel side electrode of the first fuel cell and the oxygen side electrode of the second fuel cell; and a porous ceramic film covering at least the interconnector film in a region between the fuel side electrode of the first fuel cell and the fuel side electrode of the second fuel cell.

An embodiment fuel cell includes a cell stack including a plurality of unit cells stacked in a first direction, a plate disposed at one of two end portions of the cell stack, the plate including a first terminal unit protruding in a second direction intersecting the first direction, a heating element including a second terminal unit engaged with the first terminal unit of the plate in the second direction, the heating element being disposed between the one of the two end portions of the cell stack and the plate, and an insulation part disposed at at least one of the first terminal unit or the second terminal unit, wherein one of the first terminal unit and the second terminal unit includes a pair of male heater terminals protruding in the second direction, and the other includes a pair of female heater terminals.

A fuel cell system includes a stack case and an auxiliary device case. The stack case stores a stack including a power generation cell stack body including a plurality of power generation cells stacked horizontally in a stacking direction, and an insulating plate stacked at an end of the power generation cell stack body in the stacking direction. The auxiliary device case stores a fuel cell auxiliary device. The inside of the stack case and the inside of the auxiliary device case that are adjacent to each other in the stacking direction are separated by a partition wall. The partition wall has ventilation connection ports. The ventilation connection ports connect the inside of the stack case with the inside of the auxiliary device case. The insulating plate provided closer to the partition wall, than the power generation cell stack body, inside the stack case faces the ventilation connection ports.

A battery cell that has a supply edge to which an electrolyte solution is supplied and a discharge edge from which the electrolyte solution is discharged has an introduction port that connects with the supply edge and a discharge port that connects with the discharge edge, and includes a plurality of meandering flow paths each of which is serially formed from the introduction port to the discharge port, the plurality of meandering flow paths being arranged in parallel in a widthwise direction. Each of the meandering flow paths has an introduction-side section extending from the introduction port toward a discharge edge side, a turn-back section that is turned back from an end portion on the discharge edge side of the introduction-side section toward a supply edge side, and a discharge-side section reaching the discharge port from an end portion on the supply edge side of the turn-back section.

A battery cell that has a supply edge to which an electrolyte solution is supplied and a discharge edge from which the electrolyte solution is discharged has an introduction port that connects with the supply edge and a discharge port that connects with the discharge edge, and includes a plurality of meandering flow paths each of which is serially formed from the introduction port to the discharge port, the plurality of meandering flow paths being arranged in parallel in a widthwise direction. Each of the meandering flow paths has an introduction-side section extending from the introduction port toward a discharge edge side, a turn-back section that is turned back from an end portion on the discharge edge side of the introduction-side section toward a supply edge side, and a discharge-side section reaching the discharge port from an end portion on the supply edge side of the turn-back section.