ELECTRICAL INTERCONNECT FOR A FUEL CELL STACK

摘要

A plate, an electrical interconnect formed by the plate, and a fuel cell assembly incorporating the electrical interconnect. The electrical interconnect is for use in a fuel cell stack. The fuel cell assembly is for use in the electrochemically active section of a fuel cell stack. The assembly includes one or more membrane electrode assemblies (MEA), each disposed between two flow field plates that distribute fuel and oxidant to the anode and the cathode, an additional flow field plate for passing coolant in order to cool the assembly and, possibly, a buss plate. At least one of the buss plates is an electrical interconnect of the present invention. The electrical interconnect is constructed to include one or more electrically conductive tabs, where one or more of the tabs are in turn coupled to a fuel cell health management (FCHM) device that is able to monitor, control, rejuvenate, supplement, and bypass the fuel cell assembly through the connection made via the tabs. The tabs may also be utilized as mounts and heat sinks for high power electronic components associated with the FCHM, the heat generated by these FCHM components being dissipated by the fuel cell stack cooling system. The plate members are made from a highly electrically conductive material such that the voltage drop across each plate member provided by an FCHM is small thus, allowing the current density across the MEA to be essentially uniform since the voltage throughout the area of the plate is more uniform that in the usual plate design. The material of the plate member is advantageously selected based on its electrical and thermal conductivities and its chemical stability in the operating environment of the fuel cell.