Fuel cell stack for preventing deterioration of end cell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9722262-B2
Application number	US-201313896576-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 17, 2013
Priority date	Dec 28, 2012
Publication date	Aug 1, 2017
Grant date	Aug 1, 2017

Abstract

A fuel cell stack preventing deterioration of an end cell, which has a structure for preventing cooling of a neighbor cell adjacent to a closed end plate, is provided. To this end, an open end plate and a closed end plate, which are provided on a first side and a second side, respectively, of the fuel cell stack, fasten a plurality of working cells together. More specifically, a hollow flow space is formed in an inner wall of the closed end plate to form an air pocket therein.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel cell stack that prevents deterioration of an end cell, the fuel cell stack comprising:
an open end plate disposed on a first side of the fuel cell stack; and
a closed end plate disposed on a second side of the fuel cell stack, the open end plate and the closed end plate in combination fastening together a plurality of working cells, wherein a hollow flow space is formed on an inside wall of the closed end plate adjacent to a working cell,
wherein the closed end plate and the working cell are adjacent to each other with a dummy cell interposed therebetween and a sub-gasket for the dummy cell has a closed plate structure including micro-holes,
wherein the micro-holes are smaller than manifold flow holes, and
wherein the sub-gasket having a closed plate structure without the manifold flow holes is applied to the dummy cell to maintain an air pocket formed in the hollow flow space of the closed end plate.

2. The fuel cell stack of claim 1 , wherein the flow space is formed in a position facing an end of a supply manifold adjacent to the closed end plate.

3. The fuel cell stack of claim 1 , wherein the micro-holes are formed in the sub-gasket in positions facing the end of the supply manifold and an end of a discharge manifold adjacent to the closed end plate, respectively.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Jong Sung
• Ko Jae Jun
• Suh Jung Do

Classifications

• H01M2250/20

  Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane · CPC title

• H01M8/04201 Primary

  Reactant storage and supply, e.g. means for feeding, pipes · CPC title

• Y02T90/32

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• H01M8/24

  Grouping of fuel cells, e.g. stacking of fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/10 Primary

  Fuel cells with solid electrolytes · CPC title