The present disclosure is directed towards the design of electrochemical cells for use in high pressure or high differential pressure operations. The electrochemical cells of the present disclosure have non-circular external pressure boundaries, i.e., the cells have non-circular profiles. In such cells, the internal fluid pressure during operation is balanced by the axial tensile forces developed in the bipolar plates, which prevent the external pressure boundaries of the cells from flexing or deforming. That is, the bipolar plates are configured to function as tension members during operation of the cells. To function as an effective tension member, the thickness of a particular bipolar plate is determined based on the yield strength of the material selected for fabricating the bipolar plate, the internal fluid pressure in the flow structure adjacent to the bipolar plate, and the thickness of the adjacent flow structure.

Methods are provided for designing a microchannel layout for a flow field of a bipolar plate. The methods include defining a fluid flow optimization domain with boundary conditions and loads. Using a gradient-based algorithm together with computational fluid dynamics, the domain is then optimized for minimum flow resistance. The methods include setting the minimum inverse permeability to a non-zero value, and obtaining a grayscale design and fluid velocity field. Using Gray-Scott reaction diffusion equations with the grayscale design and fluid velocity field, the method includes obtaining a microchannel layout. The microchannel layout is then incorporated as a pattern for the flow field of the bipolar plate. In various aspects, anisotropic microchannels are provided; they may be formed using at least one of an additive manufacturing technique, a metal inverse opal electroplating technique, and a hybrid combination thereof.

A porous body including a framework having a three-dimensional network structure, the framework having a body including nickel, cobalt, a first element and a second element as constituent elements, the cobalt having a proportion in mass of 0.2 or more and 0.8 or less relative to a total mass of the nickel and the cobalt, the first element including of at least one element selected from the group including of boron, iron and calcium, the second element including of at least one element selected from the group consisting of sodium, magnesium, aluminum, silicon, potassium, titanium, chromium, copper, zinc and tin, the first and second elements together having a proportion in mass of 5 ppm or more and 50,000 ppm or less in total relative to the body of the framework.

A tab of a load receiver forming a fuel cell separator member includes a base portion in the form of a metal plate, and a resin member covering the base portion. A hole, into which the resin member is partially inserted, is formed in the base portion. The resin member includes a thick portion, and a thin portion positioned closer to a first separator than the thick portion is. The hole is disposed so as to be overlapped with the thick portion.

A tab of a load receiver forming a fuel cell separator member includes a base portion in the form of a metal plate, and a resin member covering the base portion. A hole, into which the resin member is partially inserted, is formed in the base portion. The resin member includes a thick portion, and a thin portion positioned closer to a first separator than the thick portion is. The hole is disposed so as to be overlapped with the thick portion.

A metal-supported, planar cell arrangement (200) comprising at least one pair of cells (110a, 110b), each cell (110a, 110b) comprising a metal substrate (120a, 120b) having first and second sides and a porous region (124) providing fluid communication between the sides, planar cell chemistry layers (111, 112, 113) comprising fuel electrode, electrolyte, and air electrode layers being coated or deposited over, and supported by, the porous region (124) on the first side, wherein the metal substrates (120) are in a stacked arrangement with their cell chemistry layers (111, 112, 113) overlying each other such that either both their first sides, or, both their second sides face inwardly in a spaced, opposed relationship, the inwardly facing sides thereby defining a common first fluid volume (140) between them for one of fuel or oxidant.

A plate structure, such as a plate electrode, comprising two outer layers and an intermediate layer. Both outer layers are provided with a pattern of recesses, such as hexagonal or circular recesses. The recesses on one outer layer are offset with respect to the recesses in the other outer layer. The intermediate layer comprises through-holes, each through-hole connecting a recess at one outer layer with a partially overlapping recess at the opposite outer layer.

To provide a titanium-based porous body that has high void fraction to ensure gas permeability and water permeability for practical use as an electrode and a filter, has a large specific surface area to ensure conductivity and sufficient reaction sites with a reaction solution or a reaction gas, thus showing excellent reaction efficiency, and contains less contaminants because of no organic substance used. A titanium-based porous body having a specific void fraction and a high specific surface area is obtained by filling an irregular-shaped titanium powder having an average particle size of 10 to 50 μm in a dry system without using any binder or the like into a thickness of 4.0×10.sup.−1 to 1.6 mm, and sintering the irregular-shaped titanium powder at 800 to 1100° C.

A manufacturing method of a gas diffusion layer with a microporous layer includes coating a gas diffusion layer containing titanium with a precursor containing an electroconductive material, a water-repellent resin, and a polyethylene oxide, and heating the gas diffusion layer coated with the precursor to form a microporous layer containing the electroconductive material and the water-repellent resin on a surface of the gas diffusion layer. The heating atmosphere is a non-oxidation atmosphere where an oxygen concentration is no more than 0.3% by volume.

The present application relates to a porous body quality inspection apparatus and a method for inspecting quality of a porous body, and according to one aspect of the present application, there is provided a porous body quality inspection apparatus comprising a contact resistance measuring part of a porous body with a gas diffusion layer, a pressurizing part for pressurizing a pressure-sensitive discoloration base material on the porous body, an image mapping part for calculating a contact area between the pressure-sensitive discoloration base material and the porous body, a transporting part for transporting the porous body and the pressure-sensitive discoloration base material, and an operation part for performing an operation of an interfacial contact resistance between the porous body and the gas diffusion layer.