Spliced bipolar plates for fuel cells are provided. The spliced bipolar plate includes a supporting plate and a splice plate. The supporting plate has three inlet openings and three outlet openings formed thereon. A plurality of coolant flow channels are provided on one side of the supporting plate, while a recess of a uniform thickness is provided on the opposite side of the supporting plate. One side of the recess is opened to a transverse or a longitudinal side of the supporting plate. The splice plate is divided into a reaction zone part and an extended part by the supporting plate. The size of the reaction zone part is substantially the same as the volume of the recess such that the reaction zone part is received in the recess, connecting the splice plate to the supporting plate. The extended part of the splice plate is projected beyond the supporting plate.

Spliced bipolar plates for fuel cells are provided. The spliced bipolar plate includes a supporting plate and a splice plate. The supporting plate has three inlet openings and three outlet openings formed thereon. A plurality of coolant flow channels are provided on one side of the supporting plate, while a recess of a uniform thickness is provided on the opposite side of the supporting plate. One side of the recess is opened to a transverse or a longitudinal side of the supporting plate. The splice plate is divided into a reaction zone part and an extended part by the supporting plate. The size of the reaction zone part is substantially the same as the volume of the recess such that the reaction zone part is received in the recess, connecting the splice plate to the supporting plate. The extended part of the splice plate is projected beyond the supporting plate.

The invention relates to a method, an electrolyte membrane, and a corresponding electrolysis cell or an electrolysis stack for producing hydrogen and oxygen from water vapor using electric energy and/or a corresponding fuel cell or a fuel cell stack in order to produce electric energy using hydrogen and oxygen by means of a redox reaction of lithiated iron oxide iron which is dissolved in a liquid alkali carbonate salt. The membrane for splitting water vapor into hydrogen and oxygen consists, in the embodiment according to the invention, of a novel lithiated iron oxide electrolyte which is dissolved in a liquid alkali carbonate salt mixture, generally also referred to as a carbonate melt, which includes lithium carbonate among others. The electrolyte and the liquid carbonate salt are bonded in a heat-resistant non-conductive matrix, for example consisting of lithium aluminate LiAlO.sub.2 and/or another heat-resistant material with a capillary effect.

The invention relates to a method, an electrolyte membrane, and a corresponding electrolysis cell or an electrolysis stack for producing hydrogen and oxygen from water vapor using electric energy and/or a corresponding fuel cell or a fuel cell stack in order to produce electric energy using hydrogen and oxygen by means of a redox reaction of lithiated iron oxide iron which is dissolved in a liquid alkali carbonate salt. The membrane for splitting water vapor into hydrogen and oxygen consists, in the embodiment according to the invention, of a novel lithiated iron oxide electrolyte which is dissolved in a liquid alkali carbonate salt mixture, generally also referred to as a carbonate melt, which includes lithium carbonate among others. The electrolyte and the liquid carbonate salt are bonded in a heat-resistant non-conductive matrix, for example consisting of lithium aluminate LiAlO.sub.2 and/or another heat-resistant material with a capillary effect.

There is disclosed a fuel cell assembly comprising at least one horizontally arranged fuel cell stack that has numerous fuel cells, each comprising an anode, a cathode and an electrolyte situated between the anode and the cathode; combustible gas supply means for supplying combustible gas to the anodes of the fuel cells; anode gas withdrawal means for withdrawing the anode exhaust gas from the anodes; cathode gas supply means for supplying cathode gas to the cathodes of the fuel cells; cathode gas withdrawal means for withdrawing the cathode exhaust gas from the fuel cells; and recirculation means for recirculating at least one part of the anode exhaust gas and/or the cathode exhaust gas to cathodes of the fuel cells. The fuel cell assembly according to the invention is characterized in that the recirculation means comprise at least one catalytic burner with catalyst material for burning the remaining combustible gas contained in the anode exhaust gas, said burner being situated at the side of the fuel cell stack.