Fuel cell and flow field plate for fluid distribution

摘要

A flow field plate for use in a fuel cell includes a non-porous plate body having a flow field that extends between first and second ends of the non-porous plate body. The flow field includes a plurality of channels having channel inlets and channel outlets, a fluid inlet portion that diverges from the first end to the channel inlets, and a fluid outlet portion that converges from the channel outlets to the second end. A fuel cell including the flow field plate includes an electrode assembly having an electrolyte between an anode catalyst and a cathode catalyst. The flow field of the flow field plate is side by side with the electrode assembly. A method of processing a flow field plate includes forming the flow field in a non-porous plate body.

主权项

1. A flow field plate for use in a fuel cell, comprising:
a non-porous plate body that interfaces with an interface surface of a gas diffusion layer to define a flow field extending between first and second ends of the non-porous plate body, the flow field including:
a plurality of intermediate flow channels having channel inlets and channel outlets;a fluid inlet portion that diverges from the first end to the channel inlets; anda fluid outlet portion that converges from the channel outlets to the second end, wherein at least one of the fluid inlet portion and the fluid outlet portion includes a plurality of upstanding flow guides and a plurality of flow passages extending along a portion of the non-porous plate body among the plurality of upstanding flow guides, and wherein the plurality of flow passages extending along the portion of the non-porous plate body among the plurality of upstanding flow guides have a varying depth of flow through which a fluid moves during operation, the varying depth of flow being defined between a surface of the portion of the non-porous plate body between the plurality of upstanding flow guides and the interface surface of the gas diffusion layer.