PLANAR AND ESSENTIALLY RECTANGULAR FUEL CELL AND FUEL CELL BLOCK

摘要

A planar, rectangular and water-cooled fuel cell includes a cooling element with a cooling chamber through which cooling water flows during the operation of the fuel cell. Cooling water does not flow through the cooling chamber in a homogeneous manner, normally resulting in local heating of the fuel cell in regions through which the cooling water flows through less frequently. A fuel cell is provided with a cooling element which includes an essentially rectangular cooling chamber with four corner regions, whereby the opening of the coolant flow is arranged in the first corner, the opening of a first coolant flow is arranged in a second corner and a second coolant flow is disposed in a third corner. The first coolant flow has a cross section Q₁ on the narrowest point thereof and the second coolant flow has a cross section Q₂ on the narrowest point thereof, the ratio of Q₁/Q₂ being 7-25.