A separator plate for an electrochemical system, comprising: at least one of the flanks of the bead assembly has a multiplicity of passages for directing a medium through the bead flank, and a distributing or collecting structure has a multiplicity of line ducts and a multiplicity of openings, wherein the line ducts adjoin the passages in the bead flank on an external side of the bead assembly, wherein the openings are disposed on a side of the distributing or collecting structure that faces away from the bead assembly and, are fluidically connected to a bead interior.

A bipolar plate formed with a reactant flow field on each of its plate surfaces facing away from each other, comprises multiple flow ducts for a reaction medium, bounded by walls of webs, wherein the respective reactant flow field is connected fluidically to a media port across a distribution region situated outside an active region, wherein at least one duct of the distribution field is provided with a flow divider to divide up a flowing reaction medium before it is introduced into the active region. The duct comprising the flow divider has a duct elevation, comprising an ascent, which is present at a given distance upstream from the flow divider. A fuel cell stack having a plurality of such bipolar plates is also provided.

A fuel cell that includes an air fuel cell bipolar plate and a hydrogen fuel cell bipolar plate respectively having a Turing-pattern microstructure configuration. The spatial arrangement of the air fuel cell bipolar plate and the hydrogen fuel cell bipolar plate is such that the air layer of the air fuel cell bipolar plate and the hydrogen layer of the hydrogen fuel cell bipolar plate are opposed to each other to define a microstructure configuration for a coolant layer.

A bipolar plate formed from two interconnected individual plates is provided, which individual plates are each formed with a reactant flow field on plate surfaces facing away from each other, which reactant flow field comprises a plurality of flow ducts for a reaction medium which are delimited by walls of webs, wherein the webs and the flow ducts of one of the individual plates extend in an active region opposite to the webs and the flow ducts of the other of the individual plates, so as to form coolant ducts of a coolant flow field extending between the individual plates. Outside of and/or in an edge area of the active region, there is a lateral offset between the webs of the individual plates, in such a way that coolant ducts of the coolant flow field running adjacent thereto are fluidically connected to one another by means of pass-through openings for distributing a coolant flow. The invention also relates to a fuel cell stack with a plurality of such bipolar plates.

A bipolar plate for a fuel cell comprises an active region and an edge region surrounding the active region, the edge region being associated to a first media guide fluidically connected to a first passage and a second media guide fluidically connected to a second passage, as well as having a media duct which runs through the active region and fluidically connects the first passage to the second passage. At least one of the media guides comprises a first partial chamber and a second partial chamber having the passage. A flow cross-section of the media guide is tapered between the first partial chamber and the second partial chamber., and a diaphragm can be inserted or is inserted into the second partial chamber.

A bipolar plate for a fuel cell comprises an active region and an edge region surrounding the active region, the edge region being associated to a first media guide fluidically connected to a first passage and a second media guide fluidically connected to a second passage, as well as having a media duct which runs through the active region and fluidically connects the first passage to the second passage. At least one of the media guides comprises a first partial chamber and a second partial chamber having the passage. A flow cross-section of the media guide is tapered between the first partial chamber and the second partial chamber., and a diaphragm can be inserted or is inserted into the second partial chamber.

A bipolar plate having an anode plate and a cathode plate and a contact surface between the two surfaces. In a transition region, at least one first groove ends and/or a second groove ends or at least one first groove merges into a second groove, wherein the grooves guide fluid. In at least one of the first grooves and second grooves, the groove base rises such that the distance of the groove base from the contact surface decreases.

A checking method of a resin-framed membrane electrode assembly includes checking whether there is breakage in one of short sides of a first rectangular peripheral shape of a clearance provided in the resin-framed membrane electrode assembly without checking whether there is breakage in any other part of the clearance, the resin-framed membrane assembly including a solid polymer electrolyte membrane, a gas diffusion layer provided on the solid polymer electrolyte membrane, and a resin frame member that has a second rectangular peripheral shape and surrounds the solid polymer electrolyte membrane and the gas diffusion layer to provide the clearance between the resin frame member and the gas diffusion layer, the solid polymer electrolyte membrane being made from a solid polymer electrolyte membrane roll in which a solid polymer electrolyte membrane sheet is wound in a winding direction, long sides of the rectangular peripheral shape extending in the winding direction.

To prevent a reduction in the performance of a unit cell due to a gas shortage in a cathode chamber. An electrochemical reaction unit includes a unit cell, a cathode-side member, and an anode-side member. The electrochemical reaction unit satisfies the following condition on at least one of supply and discharge sides of the cathode chamber. Condition: the distance between the midpoint between opposite end points of a cathode-side opening group including an opening of a cathode-side communication channel and the midpoint (specific point) between opposite end points of an anode-side supply opening group including an opening of an anode-side supply communication channel in a direction parallel to an inner circumferential surface of a cathode chamber hole is shorter than the distance between the centroid of a cathode-side gas channel hole and the specific point in the direction parallel to the inner circumferential surface of the cathode chamber hole.

To prevent a reduction in the performance of a unit cell due to a gas shortage in a cathode chamber. An electrochemical reaction unit includes a unit cell, a cathode-side member, and an anode-side member. The electrochemical reaction unit satisfies the following condition on at least one of supply and discharge sides of the cathode chamber. Condition: the distance between the midpoint between opposite end points of a cathode-side opening group including an opening of a cathode-side communication channel and the midpoint (specific point) between opposite end points of an anode-side supply opening group including an opening of an anode-side supply communication channel in a direction parallel to an inner circumferential surface of a cathode chamber hole is shorter than the distance between the centroid of a cathode-side gas channel hole and the specific point in the direction parallel to the inner circumferential surface of the cathode chamber hole.