Assembly of Bifurcation and Trifurcation Bipolar Plate to Design Fuel Cell Stack

A current producing cell has anode flow plates 22 and cathode flow plates 20. Each of the flow plates 20, 22 defines a membrane face 26, a collector face 24, and a center axis C perpendicular to the membrane face 26 and the collector face 24. Each of the collector faces 24 define a plurality of cooling channels 74, 76, 78 and a plurality of transport channels 62, 64. The cooling channels 74, 76, 78 of the cathode flow plates 20 extend radially relative to the center axis C thereof to overlap the transport channels 62, 64 of the anode flow plates 22. The cooling channels 74, 76, 78 of the anode flow plates 22 extend radially relative to the center axis C thereof to overlap the transport channels 62, 64 of the cathode flow plates 20 for providing cooling axially between the cooling channels 74, 76, 78 of the anode flow plate 22 to the transport channels 62, 64 of the cathode flow plate 20 and between the cooling channels 74, 76, 78 of the cathode flow plate 20 to the transport channels 62, 64 of the anode flow plate 22

Novel Design of Fuel Cell Bipolar for Optimal Uniform Delivery of Reactant Gases and Efficient Water Removal

The flow plate (20) defines stems (76), branches (78), and sub-branches (80) for moving fluid between each of the openings (34, 36) and the active area (42). The openings (34, 36) are trifurcated into two branches (78) and one stem (76) for providing flow of fluid through each of the stems (76) equal to the combined flow through co-diverging of the branches (78). The stems (76) have a minimal cross-sectional flow area less than the combined minimal cross-sectional flow area of the co-diverging of the branches (78). The stems (76) are bifurcated into two branches (78). The branches (78) have a uni form branch width (W) and are bifurcated into two sub branches (80). The active area (42) includes manifolds (46. 48) and active channels (50, 52) extending therebetween. Each of the sub-branches (80) is in fluid communication with one of the manifolds (46, 48). Each of the manifolds (46. 48) is trifurcated into three active channels (50, 52) for evenly distributing fluid between the openings (34,36) and the channels