WERKWIJZE VOOR HET TOEVOEREN VAN REACTIEGAS AAN BRANDSTOFCELLEN IN EEN STAPEL EN EEN INRICHTING DAARVOOR.

摘要

A flow scheme for feeding a reactant gas to the cells of a fuel cell stack wherein the cells are connected electrically in series. For example, the fuel gas is passed in parallel over a portion of each fuel electrode and thereupon into a mixing manifold which directs the exhausted gases in parallel over a different portion of each fuel electrode and thereupon into another manifold. This is continued, depending upon the stack configuration, with the exhausted gases passing back and forth in parallel over different portions of the fuel electrodes and exhausting into a manifold until the fuel gas has covered the entire fuel electrode of each cell in the stack. This reduces the harmful effect of a blockage within the reactant gas chamber of a cell and also reduces the harmful effect caused by a maldistribution of current in one of the cells in the stack.