Disclosed herein is a fuel cell assembly including a fuel cell stack including one or more fuel cells stacked in a stacking direction. The fuel cell assembly further includes a first and second clamping plate for clamping the fuel cell stack between the first clamping plate and the second clamping plate in the stacking direction. The fuel cell assembly further includes at least one clamping element for interconnecting the first and second clamping plate. The clamping element is made of a creep-resistant material.

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.

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 fuel cell stack includes: a cell stack including separator plates, and cells each placed between the separator plates; a pair of current collectors that hold external lateral surface of the cell stack in a cell-stacking direction; and a pair of end plates that hold the pair of current collectors from outsides of said current collectors in the cell-stacking direction, wherein the cell stack possesses (i) at least one first opening formed on one external lateral surface of said cell stack, said one external lateral surface located along a direction perpendicular to the cell-stacking direction, (ii) a second opening formed on an external lateral surface of the cell stack opposite to the one external lateral surface, and (ii) at least one passage that extends through an inside of the cell stack from the at least one first opening or the at least one second opening.

Provided is a method for producing a fuel cell that can reduce the amount of an adhesive applied to join a pair of sheet-like separators together while also avoiding failures in the conveyance of the separators. A separator, which has a bent portion on the peripheral edge thereof and has a recess and a projection formed on one surface and the other surface, respectively, of the separator by the bent portion, is used. The conveying step includes gripping the bent portion at opposite ends of each separator using grippers. The seal portion forming step includes disposing an adhesive in the recess formed by the bent portion of one of the separators, and fitting the projection formed by the bent portion of the other separator in the recess.

The invention relates to a fuel cell (1), a fuel cell stack (10) having at least two fuel cells (1), a fuel cell device having a fuel cell stack and a motor vehicle having a fuel cell device. In order to prevent a production-related mispositioning of a membrane electrode assembly (13) of the fuel cell (1) from causing obstructions in the operating media flow, it is provided according to the invention that at least one of the bipolar plates (2, 3) projects farther into an operating media line (4) than the other of the bipolar plates (2, 3).

The invention relates to a fuel cell (1), a fuel cell stack (10) having at least two fuel cells (1), a fuel cell device having a fuel cell stack and a motor vehicle having a fuel cell device. In order to prevent a production-related mispositioning of a membrane electrode assembly (13) of the fuel cell (1) from causing obstructions in the operating media flow, it is provided according to the invention that at least one of the bipolar plates (2, 3) projects farther into an operating media line (4) than the other of the bipolar plates (2, 3).

A power generation cell of a fuel cell stack has a plurality of first introduction flow paths arranged along a direction of gravity to introduce the reaction gas to a power generation region. The dummy cell has a plurality of second introduction flow paths arranged along the direction of gravity to introduce the reaction gas to a central region. The fuel cell stack has at least one of a first configuration in which the flow path width of the second introduction flow path at a lowermost end in the direction of gravity is narrower than the average flow path width of the second introduction flow paths, and a second configuration in which the flow path width of the first introduction flow path at a lowermost end in the direction of gravity is wider than the average flow path width of the first introduction flow paths.

A fuel cell unit with a plurality of fuel cells defining a longitudinal axis and a main flow direction coaxial to the longitudinal axis. Fuel cell inlets and fuel cell outlets are arranged at opposite ends of the fuel cell unit and in line with the main flow direction. Also, a component comprising first fluid conduits arranged parallel to the main flow direction, the first fluid conduits comprising first fluid inlets and first fluid outlets arranged at opposite ends of the component and in line with the main flow direction. The component is arranged adjacent the fuel cell unit such that at least one of the first fluid inlets and the first fluid outlets of the component are arranged adjacent at least one of the fuel cell outlets and the fuel cell inlets such that a fluid flow may flow substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the apparatus in the first fluid conduits of the component and in the fuel cell unit and when passing from the component to the fuel cell unit or vice versa.

A fuel cell unit with a plurality of fuel cells defining a longitudinal axis and a main flow direction coaxial to the longitudinal axis. Fuel cell inlets and fuel cell outlets are arranged at opposite ends of the fuel cell unit and in line with the main flow direction. Also, a component comprising first fluid conduits arranged parallel to the main flow direction, the first fluid conduits comprising first fluid inlets and first fluid outlets arranged at opposite ends of the component and in line with the main flow direction. The component is arranged adjacent the fuel cell unit such that at least one of the first fluid inlets and the first fluid outlets of the component are arranged adjacent at least one of the fuel cell outlets and the fuel cell inlets such that a fluid flow may flow substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the apparatus in the first fluid conduits of the component and in the fuel cell unit and when passing from the component to the fuel cell unit or vice versa.