The present disclosure provides a fuel cell system that allows greater convenience and smaller size to be achieved. The fuel cell system of the disclosure comprises a fuel cell module and a liquid water discharge channel for discharge of liquid water in the fuel cell module. The fuel cell module comprises a battery stack, a reactive gas discharge manifold formed so that, during use of the fuel cell system, reactive gas flows from the lower end in the vertical direction to the upper end in the vertical direction, a reactive gas discharge outlet disposed so as to be located at the upper end of the reactive gas discharge manifold in the vertical direction, and a liquid water discharge outlet disposed so as to be located at the lower end of the reactive gas discharge manifold in the vertical direction. The liquid water discharge channel is connected to the liquid water discharge outlet in such a manner that liquid water flows through its interior.

A manifold plate for a fuel cell stack includes a lower manifold portion, an upper manifold portion, a dielectric layer sandwiched between the lower manifold portion and the upper manifold portion, a bottom inlet hole and a bottom outlet hole formed in a bottom surface of the lower manifold portion, where the bottom inlet hole and the bottom outlet hole extend through the dielectric layer, top outlet holes and top inlet holes formed in opposing sides of a top surface of the upper manifold portion, outlet channels fluidly connecting the top outlet holes to the bottom inlet hole, and inlet channels fluidly connecting the top inlet holes to the bottom outlet hole.

A fuel cell system may include: a reformer performing a reforming process of producing hydrogen gas from a gasified fuel; a burner supplying heat to the reformer; a stack generating electrical energy by generating an electrochemical reaction using reforming gas and air discharged from the reformer; a first supply pipe supplying external air to the burner; a second supply pipe supplying external air to the stack; a first storage tank storing a liquid fuel; a second storage tank supplying a gasified fuel to the reformer; and a fuel evaporator making a liquid fuel discharged from the first storage tank exchange heat with air flowing through the first supply pipe or air flowing through the second supply pipe, and sending a gasified gaseous fuel to the second storage tank.

A fuel cell system may include: a reformer performing a reforming process of producing hydrogen gas from a gasified fuel; a burner supplying heat to the reformer; a stack generating electrical energy by generating an electrochemical reaction using reforming gas and air discharged from the reformer; a first supply pipe supplying external air to the burner; a second supply pipe supplying external air to the stack; a first storage tank storing a liquid fuel; a second storage tank supplying a gasified fuel to the reformer; and a fuel evaporator making a liquid fuel discharged from the first storage tank exchange heat with air flowing through the first supply pipe or air flowing through the second supply pipe, and sending a gasified gaseous fuel to the second storage tank.

A fuel cell stack including a separator having a gas equal distribution structure includes a cell formed by sequentially stacking an air electrode, an electrolyte, and a fuel electrode, an air electrode current collector, an air electrode separator, a fuel electrode current collector, and a fuel electrode separator. The air path or the fuel path includes a first channel through which the air or the fuel is introduced from the outside and which is formed to extend to a predetermined length, an auxiliary channel branched off from the first channel so that the air or the fuel moves from the first channel, and a second channel connected to an end portion of the auxiliary channel and formed to extend to a predetermined length so that the air or the fuel moved from the auxiliary channel is moved and discharged to the outside.

A humidifier for a fuel cell is provided and includes a housing having, at a first side, a moist air supply port through which moist air is supplied from a fuel cell stack and having, at a second side, a moist air discharge port. A humidifying membrane is disposed in the housing and allows dry air to flow along the inside of the humidifying membrane. A bypass flow path is formed in the housing to allow a part of the moist air supplied to the moist air supply port to continuously flow to the moist air discharge port without passing through the humidifying membrane, thereby adjusting the amount of humidification and a differential pressure of the humidifier based on an operating condition of a fuel cell.

A solid oxide fuel cell includes a fuel cell main body which includes a cathode layer, a solid electrolyte layer, and an anode layer and which has a power generation function; a connector disposed to face one electrode layer of the cathode layer and the anode layer; a current collector which is disposed between the one electrode layer and the connector and which is in contact with a surface of the one electrode layer and a surface of the connector, the surfaces facing each other, to thereby electrically connect the one electrode layer and the connector; and a groove provided in a portion of a surface of the one electrode layer, which surface is located on the side where the one electrode layer is in contact with the current collector, the portion of the surface being not in contact with the current collector.

The disclosure relates to a fuel cell, a bipolar plate and a bipolar plate assembly for a fuel cell. The bipolar plate comprises: at least one distributing region; at least one first through hole which communicates with the distributing region via a circumferential opening on a sidewall as an inlet of a first reactant; and at least one second through hole which communicates with the distributing region via a circumferential opening on a sidewall as an outlet of a first reactant. Each of the at least one first through hole and the at least one second through hole has a cross section of approximately trapezoid with an arc edge or an oblique edge, and the circumferential opening is formed on a curved sidewall or on an oblique sidewall. The fuel cell has improved structural design of the bipolar plate to improve flow uniformity and hydrothermal management of the fuel cell, thereby improving large current discharge performance and power density of the fuel cell. It can improve power performance, fuel efficiency and cruising range of electric vehicles.

The disclosure relates to a fuel cell, a bipolar plate and a bipolar plate assembly for a fuel cell. The bipolar plate comprises: at least one distributing region; at least one first through hole which communicates with the distributing region via a circumferential opening on a sidewall as an inlet of a first reactant; and at least one second through hole which communicates with the distributing region via a circumferential opening on a sidewall as an outlet of a first reactant. Each of the at least one first through hole and the at least one second through hole has a cross section of approximately trapezoid with an arc edge or an oblique edge, and the circumferential opening is formed on a curved sidewall or on an oblique sidewall. The fuel cell has improved structural design of the bipolar plate to improve flow uniformity and hydrothermal management of the fuel cell, thereby improving large current discharge performance and power density of the fuel cell. It can improve power performance, fuel efficiency and cruising range of electric vehicles.

A multifunctional manifold for use with electrochemical devices having a spiral cross-section, such as spiral solid-oxide fuel cells, includes an interface that is configured to be placed in operative communication with such devices. The interface includes a fuel interface section and an oxidant interface section that are each configured as spirals. The spiral interface sections also include channels that are configured to be placed in operative communication with corresponding spiral channels of the electrochemical device to deliver operating gases, such as fuel gas and oxidant gas, thereto. In addition to delivering operating gases to the fuel cells, the multifunctional manifold is also configured to act as an electrical current collector and a heat exchanger.