The fuel cell device includes an electrode assembly. A gas diffusion layer is on each side of the electrode assembly. A solid, non-porous plate is adjacent each of the gas diffusion layers. A hydrophilic soak up region is near an inlet portion of at least one of the gas diffusion layers. The hydrophilic soak up region is configured to absorb liquid water from the electrode assembly when the fuel cell device is shutdown.

A fuel cell assembly includes a pair of corrugated bipolar plates. Each of the plates is defined by peak portions and sidewalls connecting the peak portions. The plates are fitted and nested within each other such that the sidewalls are in direct contact. Some of the sidewalls include a stepped shoulder portion such that each of the some of the sidewalls and the peak portions adjacent thereto form a stair-step profile and define a flow channel having a depth greater than a width.

A fuel cell stack (11) includes a plurality of contiguous fuel cells (13), each including a unitized electrode assembly (15) sandwiched between porous, anode (22) and cathode water transport plates (18). In areas where silicone rubber (29) or other elastomer covers edges of the fuel cells in order to form seals with an external manifold (27), adjacent edges of the water transport plates are supplanted by, or augmented with, an elastomer-impervious material (34). This prevents infusion of elastomer to the WTPs which can cause sufficient hydrophobicity as to reduce or eliminate water bubble pressure required to isolate the reactant gases from the coolant water, thereby preventing gaseous inhibition of the coolant pump. A preformed insert (34) may be cast into the water transport plates as molded, or a fusible or curable non-elastomer, elastomer-impervious in fluent form may be deposited into the pores of already formed water transport plates, and then fused or cured.

Systems, devices, and methods that utilize a method of coating an interconnect for a SOEC or SOFC, the method including wet spraying a coating precursor powder onto an interconnect, and sintering the interconnect in an oxidizing ambient to form the coating.

Disclosed is a fuel cell filter including a body including therein an internal space in which a fluid flows, an inlet port provided in the body and configured to receive a fluid discharged from a fuel cell stack, a gas-water separating membrane disposed in the internal space and configured to block a liquid fluid included in a fluid absorbed in the inlet port from flowing upwards, a discharge port provided in the body and configured to externally discharge the liquid fluid blocked in the gas-water separating membrane, a water absorbent disposed in the internal space and configured to absorb water included in a gaseous fluid passing through the gas-water separating membrane, and a gas outlet port provided in the body and configured to externally discharge gas separated in the gas-water separating membrane.

An energy conversion system includes an energy converter, a cold generator, and a liquid water obtainer. The energy converter is configured to convert energy of a source from one form to another form and generate heat and water vapor. The cold generator is configured to generate cold using the heat generated by the energy converter. The liquid water obtainer is configured to condense the water vapor using the cold to obtain liquid water. Accordingly, the water vapor generated from the energy converter can be cooled efficiently. Therefore, efficiency in obtaining the liquid water can be improved compared with a case where the water vapor is cooled by open air.

A fuel cell electrode with catalysts grown in situ on an ordered structure microporous layer and a method for preparing a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) are disclosed. The fuel cell electrode includes an electrode substrate layer, a hydrophobic layer, an ordered structure hydrophilic layer and catalysts. The hydrophobic layer is prepared on the electrode substrate layer. The ordered structure hydrophilic layer is prepared on the hydrophobic layer. The catalysts are uniformly distributed on the ordered structure hydrophilic layer.

A fuel cell including a catalyst layer configured to generate liquid water in response to a reactant being in contact therewith. The fuel cell includes a microporous layer having a first region with a first pore size and a second region disposed adjacent to the first region having a second pore size. The first pore size being greater than the second pore size. The microporous layer being configured to transfer the liquid water away from the catalyst layer, such that the liquid water from the catalyst layer enters the first region in response to a capillary pressure of the liquid water being greater than a first capillary pressure. The liquid water enters the second region in response to a capillary pressure of the liquid water being greater than a second capillary pressure. The first capillary pressure being different from the second capillary pressure.

A vehicle is provided having a vehicle front end in which a fuel cell system which has a fuel cell stack is arranged, which full cell system is, at a cathode side, connected at least directly to an exhaust-gas line through which a fluid emerging from the fuel cell stack can be discharged from the vehicle front end. The exhaust-gas system comprises a sorption system for the adsorption of a liquid of the fluid emerging from the fuel cell stack. The invention furthermore relates to a method for treating a fluid of a fuel cell system, which has a fuel cell stack, in a vehicle.

The invention relates to a method for operating a fuel cell system in which at least one fuel cell (1) is supplied with hydrogen via an anode path (2) and with oxygen via a cathode path, and in which anode exhaust gas exiting the fuel cell (1) is recirculated via a recirculation path (3), wherein steam contained in the anode exhaust gas is adsorbed by means of a zeolite container (4). According to the invention, the following steps are carried out in order to regenerate the zeolite container (4): a) separating the zeolite container (4) from the recirculation path (3) by closing at least one shut-off valve (5, 6) and/or switching a directional control valve (7), b) heating the zeolite container (4) by means of an electric heating device (8) such that previously adsorbed water is desorbed, and c) removing the desorbed water from the system by switching the directional control valve (7) again and/or by opening at least one flushing valve (9, 10). The invention additionally relates to a fuel cell system which is suitable for carrying out the method.