A hybrid bipolar plate assembly for a fuel cell includes a formed cathode half plate and a stamped metal anode half plate. The stamped metal anode half plate is nested with and affixed to the formed cathode half plate. Each of the half plates has a reactant side and a coolant side, a feed region, and a header with a plurality of header apertures. The coolant side of the formed cathode half plate has support features that can be different from and need not correspond with cathode flow channels formed on the opposite reactant side. The coolant side of the stamped metal anode half plate has lands corresponding with anode channels formed on the opposite oxidant side. The lands define a plurality of coolant channels on the coolant side of the stamped metal anode half plate and abut the coolant side of the formed cathode half plate.

A gas diffusion member which can reduce internal resistance of a fuel cell. A gas diffusion member arranged between a separator and a catalyst layer of a fuel cell, including: a porous material layer; and a conductive material layer; wherein: the porous material layer is formed of a conductive porous material; the conductive material layer is formed of a conductive material; and the conductive material layer is arranged on a surface of the porous material layer on a side of the separator and is provided so that pores of the porous material layer are filled with the conductive material.

A gas diffusion member which can reduce internal resistance of a fuel cell. A gas diffusion member arranged between a separator and a catalyst layer of a fuel cell, including: a porous material layer; and a conductive material layer; wherein: the porous material layer is formed of a conductive porous material; the conductive material layer is formed of a conductive material; and the conductive material layer is arranged on a surface of the porous material layer on a side of the separator and is provided so that pores of the porous material layer are filled with the conductive material.

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a porous electrode that includes a porous layer, and a pattern of flow channels defined in the porous layer, wherein a first flow channel in the pattern of flow channels has a shape that at least partially approximates a cube-root profile. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

A separator assembly for an air-cooled fuel cell includes: a cathode separator and an anode separator, each of which having a cooling surface bonded to each other to face each other. The separator assembly further includes a plurality of first gaskets having a ring shape configured to surround and seal a plurality of inlet manifolds and a plurality of outlet manifolds are disposed on a cooling surface of any one separator among the cooling surface of the cathode separator and the cooling surface of the anode separator. The plurality of first gaskets are configured to allow cooling air for cooling the cooling surface to flow between first gaskets adjacent to each other.

A separator assembly for an air-cooled fuel cell includes: a cathode separator and an anode separator, each of which having a cooling surface bonded to each other to face each other. The separator assembly further includes a plurality of first gaskets having a ring shape configured to surround and seal a plurality of inlet manifolds and a plurality of outlet manifolds are disposed on a cooling surface of any one separator among the cooling surface of the cathode separator and the cooling surface of the anode separator. The plurality of first gaskets are configured to allow cooling air for cooling the cooling surface to flow between first gaskets adjacent to each other.

An electrochemical hydrogen pump includes at least one hydrogen pump unit including an electrolyte membrane, an anode, a cathode, an anode separator, and a cathode separator; an anode end plate disposed on the anode separator positioned in a first end in a stacking direction; a cathode end plate disposed on the cathode separator positioned in a second end in the stacking direction; a fixing member that prevents members from the anode end plate to the anode separator positioned in the first end from moving in the stacking direction; a gas flow channel through which hydrogen generated in the cathode is supplied to a space disposed between the anode end plate and the anode separator positioned in the first end; and a pressure transmitting member that is disposed in the space and transmits a pressure from the anode separator positioned in the first end to the anode end plate.

An electrochemical hydrogen pump includes at least one hydrogen pump unit including an electrolyte membrane, an anode, a cathode, an anode separator, and a cathode separator; an anode end plate disposed on the anode separator positioned in a first end in a stacking direction; a cathode end plate disposed on the cathode separator positioned in a second end in the stacking direction; a fixing member that prevents members from the anode end plate to the anode separator positioned in the first end from moving in the stacking direction; a gas flow channel through which hydrogen generated in the cathode is supplied to a space disposed between the anode end plate and the anode separator positioned in the first end; and a pressure transmitting member that is disposed in the space and transmits a pressure from the anode separator positioned in the first end to the anode end plate.

A fuel-cell unit cell comprises: a membrane electrode and gas diffusion layer assembly; a cathode-side separator made of a press-molded plate, the cathode-side separator forming a plurality of cathode gas flow paths and non-flow-path portions therebetween on a cathode-side surface of the membrane electrode and gas diffusion layer assembly; and an anode-side separator made of a press-molded plate, the anode-side separator forming a plurality of anode gas flow paths and non-flow-path portions therebetween on an anode-side surface of the membrane electrode and gas diffusion layer assembly. At least one gas flow path among the plural cathode gas flow paths and the plural anode gas flow paths includes a constricting portion that is configured to reduce a flow-path height in a stacking direction of the fuel-cell unit cells as well as to reduce a flow path cross-sectional area of the gas flow path. When projected and observed along the stacking direction, the plural cathode gas flow paths and the plural anode gas flow paths are configured to have mutually different two-dimensional shapes, there exist intersect positions at which the cathode gas flow paths and the anode gas flow path intersect each other, and the constricting portion is provided at a position other than the intersect positions.

A fuel-cell unit cell comprises: a membrane electrode and gas diffusion layer assembly; a cathode-side separator made of a press-molded plate, the cathode-side separator forming a plurality of cathode gas flow paths and non-flow-path portions therebetween on a cathode-side surface of the membrane electrode and gas diffusion layer assembly; and an anode-side separator made of a press-molded plate, the anode-side separator forming a plurality of anode gas flow paths and non-flow-path portions therebetween on an anode-side surface of the membrane electrode and gas diffusion layer assembly. At least one gas flow path among the plural cathode gas flow paths and the plural anode gas flow paths includes a constricting portion that is configured to reduce a flow-path height in a stacking direction of the fuel-cell unit cells as well as to reduce a flow path cross-sectional area of the gas flow path. When projected and observed along the stacking direction, the plural cathode gas flow paths and the plural anode gas flow paths are configured to have mutually different two-dimensional shapes, there exist intersect positions at which the cathode gas flow paths and the anode gas flow path intersect each other, and the constricting portion is provided at a position other than the intersect positions.