A fuel cell contains two or more fluid-supplying internal manifolds and fluid-discharging internal manifolds for each fluid. External manifolds include fluid-supplying external manifolds, which connect to the fluid-supplying internal manifolds, and fluid-discharging external manifolds, which connect to the fluid-discharging internal manifolds, for each fluid. The respective fluid-supplying and fluid-discharging external manifolds are positioned approximately in parallel with each other, extending in the width direction of a cell laminate body.

A fuel cell includes: a membrane electrode gas diffusion layer assembly; a frame member which surrounds the membrane electrode gas diffusion layer assembly; and a pair of separators with the frame member and the membrane electrode gas diffusion layer assembly sandwiched therebetween. The separators include a manifold hole through which a reaction gas is supplied or discharged. The frame member includes a manifold opening which communicates with the manifold hole, an in-plane opening in which the membrane electrode gas diffusion layer assembly is disposed, a gas flow path which communicates with the in-plane opening and the manifold opening, a seal portion which is welded to the separators around the gas flow path, and an accommodation portion which is provided between the seal portion and the gas flow path to accommodate a material of the frame member caused to flow by welding.

A fuel cell includes: a membrane electrode gas diffusion layer assembly; a frame member which surrounds the membrane electrode gas diffusion layer assembly; and a pair of separators with the frame member and the membrane electrode gas diffusion layer assembly sandwiched therebetween. The separators include a manifold hole through which a reaction gas is supplied or discharged. The frame member includes a manifold opening which communicates with the manifold hole, an in-plane opening in which the membrane electrode gas diffusion layer assembly is disposed, a gas flow path which communicates with the in-plane opening and the manifold opening, a seal portion which is welded to the separators around the gas flow path, and an accommodation portion which is provided between the seal portion and the gas flow path to accommodate a material of the frame member caused to flow by welding.

A high-temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell stack may include a plurality of cell units; a cooling assembly including a plurality of first independent cooling plates disposed on top surfaces of the plurality of cell units, respectively, and a plurality of second independent cooling plates disposed on bottom surfaces of the plurality of cell units, respectively; and a support assembly configured to support the plurality of cell units and the cooling assembly.

Provided is a fuel cell stack capable of suppressing damage to a seal member and suppressing leakage of a reaction gas to the outside of a casing or entry of water from the outside of the casing for a long period of time. The fuel cell stack includes a pair of end plates and holds a laminate from two sides in a direction, a casing which houses the laminate and has connection bars extended between the pair of end plates, a fastening member inserted into an end plate side mounting hole and a connection bar side mounting hole, and chamfered parts formed in an end plate side small diameter part of the end plate side mounting hole. A chamfer angle between an inner surface of the outer chamfered part and the direction is larger than a chamfer angle between an inner surface of the inner chamfered part and the direction.

A separator for a fuel cell includes a thin metal plate, protrusions that are formed on the metal plate to be close to each other, and gas passages formed by the protrusions. Each gas passage has a first opening corresponding to an inlet and a second opening corresponding to an outlet. The gas passages include a first gas passage, which has a relatively low pressure loss of gas flow, and a second gas passage, which has a relatively high pressure loss of gas flow. The area of the first opening of the first gas passage is set to be smaller than the area of the first opening of the second gas passage.

A fuel cell to provide a higher power density. The fuel cell can be produced by 3D printing in ceramic and has an improved power density by virtue of its spiral shape. In order to better extract the energy generated by the fuel cell, an interconnector sheet can be fastened positively to fastening knobs of the fuel cell by holding eyes. In addition, the interconnector sheet can be fixed by glass solder.

A fuel cell stack with a bipolar plate assembly and a method of assembling a fuel cell stack such that reactant or coolant leakage is reduced. Bipolar plates within the system include reactant channels and coolant channels that are fluidly coupled to inlet and outlet flowpaths, all of which are formed within a coolant-engaging or reactant-engaging surface of the plate. One or more thin or low aspect-ratio microseals are also formed on a metal bead that is integrally-formed on a surface of the plate and is used to help reduce leakage by maintaining fluid isolation of the reactants and coolant as they flow through their respective channels and flowpaths that are defined between adjacently-placed plates. By delaying the activation of the adhesive bond formed between the microseal and an adjacent surface within the fuel cell until after the aligned cell assemblies have been compressively supported in a stack housing, the ability of the microseal and its adjacent surface to avoid reactant or coolant leakage is enhanced.

A fuel cell stack with a bipolar plate assembly and a method of assembling a fuel cell stack such that reactant or coolant leakage is reduced. Bipolar plates within the system include reactant channels and coolant channels that are fluidly coupled to inlet and outlet flowpaths, all of which are formed within a coolant-engaging or reactant-engaging surface of the plate. One or more thin or low aspect-ratio microseals are also formed on a metal bead that is integrally-formed on a surface of the plate and is used to help reduce leakage by maintaining fluid isolation of the reactants and coolant as they flow through their respective channels and flowpaths that are defined between adjacently-placed plates. By delaying the activation of the adhesive bond formed between the microseal and an adjacent surface within the fuel cell until after the aligned cell assemblies have been compressively supported in a stack housing, the ability of the microseal and its adjacent surface to avoid reactant or coolant leakage is enhanced.

Embodiments of the present invention relate to a fluid distribution system. The system may include one or more electrochemical cell layers, a bulk distribution manifold having an inlet, a cell layer feeding manifold in direct fluidic contact with the electrochemical cell layer and a separation layer that separates the bulk distribution manifold from the cell feeding manifold, providing at least two independent paths for fluid to flow from the bulk distribution manifold to the cell feeding manifold.