COMBINED FUEL CELL STACK AND HEAT EXCHANGER ASSEMBLY

摘要

Disclosed herein is a combined fuel cell and heat exchanger stack assembly. The assembly includes two electrically conductive plates, each plate having two sets of spaced apart fluid openings. The two sets of openings are spaced apart from each other. One or more fluid channels fluidly connect one fluid opening in one set with one fluid opening in the other set. A heat exchanger plate has two sets of spaced apart heat exchanger fluid openings. The two sets of heat exchanger openings are spaced apart from each other. One or more fluid channels fluidly connect one heat exchanger fluid opening in one set with one heat exchanger fluid opening in the second set. The heat exchanger plate is sandwiched between the electrically conductive plates so that the spaced apart fluid openings in the plates and the fluid channels are in fluid communication with each other. The plates are configured such that thermal energy generated at the heat exchanger plate preheats a fuel cell fluid reactant as it enters one fluid channel in the second electricially conductive plate at a first temperature to a second temperature by thermal energy transfer from the heat exchanger plate.

主权项

1. A combined fuel cell and heat exchanger stack assembly comprising:
a first electrically conductive plate having first and second sets of spaced apart fluid openings, the first and second sets of openings being spaced apart from each other, at least one fluid channel fluidly connecting one fluid opening in the first set with at least one fluid opening in the second set; a second electrically conductive plate having first and second sets of spaced apart fluid openings, the first and second sets of openings being spaced apart from each other, at least one fluid channel fluidly connecting one fluid opening in the first set with at least one fluid opening in the second set; a heat exchanger plate having first and second sets of spaced apart heat exchanger fluid openings, the first and second sets of heat exchanger openings being spaced apart from each other, at least one fluid channel fluidly connecting one heat exchanger fluid opening in the first set with at least one heat exchanger fluid opening in the second set, the heat exchanger plate being sandwiched between the first and second electrically conductive plates so that the spaced apart fluid openings in the plates and the fluid channels are in fluid communication with each other; the first electrically conductive plate, the second electrically conductive plate and the heat exchanger plate being configured such that thermal energy generated at the heat exchanger plate preheats a fuel cell fluid reactant as it enters the at least one fluid channel in the second electricially conductive plate at a first temperature to a second temperature by thermal energy transfer from the heat exchanger plate.