| 摘要 |
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. |
