Fuel cell component having selected cooling capacity distribution

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10381664-B2
Application number	US-201214423071-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 30, 2012
Priority date	Aug 30, 2012
Publication date	Aug 13, 2019
Grant date	Aug 13, 2019

Abstract

An exemplary fuel cell component includes a plate having a plurality of channels. At least a first one of the channels is configured differently than others of the channels so that the first channel provides a first cooling capacity to a selected portion of the plate. The others of the channels provide a second, lesser cooling capacity to at least one other portion of the plate.

First claim

We claim:

1. A fuel cell component, comprising:
a plate having a plurality of reactant channels and a plurality of coolant channels, the plurality of reactant channels allowing a reactant to move across the plate in a reactant direction from a first edge of the plate to a second edge of the plate opposite to the first edge, at least a first one of the coolant channels being configured differently than others of the coolant channels so that the first coolant channel provides a first cooling capacity to a selected portion of the plate and the others of the coolant channels provide a second, lesser cooling capacity to at least one other portion of the plate, wherein the first coolant channel extends across the plate in a first direction transverse to the reactant direction established by the plurality of reactant channels, wherein the others of the coolant channels extend across the plate in a second direction parallel to the reactant direction established by the plurality of reactant channels, and wherein the first coolant channel extends across the others of the coolant channels.

2. The fuel cell component of claim 1 , wherein the first coolant channel has a first flow capacity that is greater than a second flow capacity of the others of the coolant channels.

3. The fuel cell component of claim 2 , wherein:
the first coolant channel has a first cross-sectional area that is generally perpendicular to a direction of flow along the first coolant channel;
the others of the coolant channels each have a second, smaller cross-sectional area that is generally perpendicular to a corresponding direction of flow along each of the others of the coolant channels.

4. The fuel cell component of claim 2 , wherein:
the first coolant channel directs a first volume of coolant to the selected area within a cooling period; and
the others of the coolant channels direct a second, lesser volume of coolant to the other area within the cooling period.

5. The fuel cell component of claim 2 , wherein:
the first coolant channel comprises an insulating member situated along at least a section of the first coolant channel; and
the insulating member is configured to resist any heat absorption by any coolant in the section of the first coolant channel.

6. The fuel cell component of claim 5 , wherein the portion of the first coolant channel extends between an inlet to the first coolant channel and a section of the first coolant channel along the selected portion of the plate.

7. The fuel cell component of claim 1 , wherein:
the first coolant channel is configured to direct coolant having the first cooling capacity to the selected portion of the plate; and
the others of the coolant channels are configured to direct coolant having the second cooling capacity to the other portions of the plate.

8. The fuel cell component of claim 7 , wherein the cooling capacity comprises a temperature of the coolant and wherein coolant providing the first cooling capacity is colder than coolant providing the second cooling capacity.

9. The fuel cell component of claim 7 , wherein:
the first coolant channel comprises an insulating member situated along at least a portion of the first coolant channel; and
the insulating member is configured to resist any heat absorption by any coolant in the portion of the first coolant channel.

10. The fuel cell component of claim 9 , wherein the portion of the first coolant channel extends between an inlet to the first coolant channel and a section of the first coolant channel along the selected portion of the plate.

11. A method of managing a temperature within a fuel cell, comprising:
providing a first cooling capacity to a selected portion of at least one fuel cell plate, the fuel cell plate including a plurality of reactant channels and a plurality of coolant channels, the plurality of reactant channels allowing a reactant to move across the fuel cell plate in a reactant direction from a first outermost edge of the plate to a second outermost edge of the plate opposite to the first outermost edge, wherein at least a first one of the coolant channels provides the first cooling capacity to the selected portion of the fuel cell plate, the first coolant channel extending across the plate in a first direction transverse to the reactant direction established by the reactant channels; and
providing a second, lesser cooling capacity to at least one other portion of the fuel cell plate, wherein others of the coolant channels provide the second, lesser cooling capacity to the other portion of the fuel cell plate, the others of the coolant channels extending across the plate in a second direction parallel to the reactant direction established by the reactant channels.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first coolant channel has a first flow capacity that is greater than a second flow capacity of each of the others of the coolant channels.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first coolant channel has a first cross-sectional area and the others of the coolant channels each have a second, smaller cross-sectional area.

14. The method of claim 11 , comprising:
directing a first volume of coolant to the selected portion within a cooling period; and
directing a second, lesser volume of coolant to the other portion within the cooling period.

15. The method of claim 11 , comprising:
providing an insulating member situated along at least a section of at least one of the coolant channels wherein the insulating member is configured to resist any heat absorption by any coolant in the section of the coolant channel.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first cooling capacity comprises a first volume of coolant within a cooling period and the second cooling capacity comprises a second, lesser volume of coolant within the cooling period.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first cooling capacity comprises a first temperature of coolant and wherein the second cooling capacity comprises a second, higher temperature of the coolant.

18. The fuel cell component of claim 1 wherein a first portion of the first coolant channel extends across the plate in the first direction, and wherein a second portion of the first coolant channel extends across the plate in the second direction.

19. The method of managing a temperature within a fuel cell of claim 11 wherein a first portion of the first coolant channel extends across the plate in the first direction, and wherein a second portion of the first coolant channel extends across the plate in the second direction.

Assignees

• Bhadange Sushant S
• Lake Jeffrey G
• Audi Ag

Inventors

• Bhadange Sushant S
• Lake Jeffrey G

Classifications

• H01M8/04007 Primary

  related to heat exchange · CPC title

• H01M8/0267

  having heating or cooling means, e.g. heaters or coolant flow channels · CPC title

• H01M8/0265 Primary

  the reactant or coolant channels having varying cross sections · CPC title

• H01M8/0258

  characterised by the configuration of channels, e.g. by the flow field of the reactant or coolant · CPC title

• H01M8/026

  characterised by grooves, e.g. their pitch or depth · CPC title