Audi Ag

Christopher John Carnevale

Jonathan Daniel O'Neill

Timothy William Patterson, Jr

David Ferreira

Jeffrey G Lake

Glenn Michael Allen

Roopnarine Sukhram

Michael D Harrington

Michael L Perry

Robert Mason Darling

Tommy Skiba

Timothy W Patterson

Matthew P Wilson

Paravastu Badrinarayanan

Kristoffer H Ridgeway

Garrett W Fink

David Melo Ferreira

A fuel pressure regulator unit is mounted on a manifold. The fuel pressure regulator unit includes a housing providing a fuel inlet passage, a regulated fuel outlet passage, a sense pressure passage, a recycle passage and a mixed fuel passage. A pressure regulator is provided in the housing and is arranged fluidly between the fuel inlet passage and the regulated fuel outlet passage. The sense passage fluidly interconnects the mixed fuel passage and the pressure regulator. The pressure regulator is configured to regulate the flow of fuel from the fuel inlet passage to regulated fuel passage in response to a pressure from the sense pressure passage. An ejector is arranged within the housing and fluidly between the regulated fuel outlet passage and the mixed fuel passage. An ejector is configured to receive recycled fuel from the recycle passage.

Freeze tolerant fuel cell fuel pressure regulator

An exemplary manifold assembly includes a gas inlet manifold configured to introduce a gas to a fuel cell. A gas outlet manifold is configured to direct gas away from the fuel cell. A drain channel connects the inlet manifold to the outlet manifold. The drain channel is configured to carry liquid from the gas inlet manifold to the gas outlet manifold.

Fuel cell gas inlet manifold drain

An end plate assembly () includes a current collector (), an electrically non-conductive pressure plate (), and a tapered spring plate (). The tapered spring plate () includes a thick mid-section () and tapered, thin tie rod extensions () that extend from the mid-section () over deflection cavities () in the pressure plate (). Tie rod nut assemblies () apply a load follow-up through the tie-rod extensions () to permit limited expansion and contraction of the fuel cells (). A mid-section of () of the spring plate () overlies a substantial portion of an upper surface () of the pressure plate (). Because the mid-section () is large and thick and because the tie-rod extensions () are tapered and thin, the entire end plate assembly () may be efficiently thin and apply an even load follow-up to the fuel cell stack ().

Fuel cell stack having an end plate assembly with a tapered spring plate

An exemplary fuel cell component includes a plate comprising an electrically conductive material. An electrical connector includes a first portion embedded in the plate. A second portion of the electrical connector extends from the plate. The second portion is configured to make an electrically conductive connection with another device.

Fuel cell component with embedded power connector

According to an embodiment, an assembly for use in a fuel cell includes a manifold having at least one inlet and at least one surface configured to facilitate fluid flow from the inlet along a direction in the manifold. A baffle is situated generally parallel to the direction of flow. The baffle has a first portion, a second portion and a third portion. The first portion is closer to the inlet than the second portion. The second portion is closer to the inlet than the third portion. The first portion has a first width situated generally perpendicular to the flow direction. The second portion has a second width situated generally perpendicular to the flow direction. The second width is less than the first width. The third portion has a third width situated generally perpendicular to the flow direction. The third width is greater than the second width.

Baffle for use in a fuel cell manifold

An exemplary flow field includes a plurality of flow channel portions. There are n inlet portions configured for introducing a fluid into the flow field. A plurality of first pass portions direct fluid flow in a first direction. A plurality of second pass portions direct fluid flow in a second direction that is generally parallel to and opposite to the first direction. A plurality of third pass portions direct fluid flow in the first direction. n outlet portions are configured to allow fluid to exit the flow field. n is an integer and a number of the portions in at least one plurality of pass portions is a non-integer multiple of n.

Serpentine flow field with varying numbers of channel portions

An example fuel cell assembly includes a plate having channels configured to facilitate movement of a fuel cell fluid near an area of active flow of fuel cell. The channels include portions having a varying depth that extend laterally outside of the area of active flow.

Fuel cell fluid channels

According to an illustrative embodiment, a method of making a fuel cell component includes removing material from a first plurality of locations along at least one surface on a plate to simultaneously establish a plurality of first channels on the surface. Each first channel has a length between a first end near a first edge of the surface and a second end spaced from a second, opposite edge of the surface. Material is also removed from a second plurality of locations along the surface to simultaneously establish a plurality of second channels on the surface. Each second channel has a length beginning at a first end spaced from the first edge and a second end near the second edge. Material is also removed from the surface near the first ends of at least some of the first channels to simultaneously establish an inlet portion for directing a fluid into the corresponding first channels.

Method of making a fuel cell component having an interdigitated flow field configuration

A fuel cell power plant () has vertical fuel cells () each sharing a half of a hybrid separator plate () which includes a solid fuel flow plate () having horizontal fuel flow channels () on one surface and coolant channels () on an upper portion of the opposite surface, bonded to a plain rear side of a porous, hydrophilic oxidant flow field plate () having vertical oxidant flow channels (). Coolant permeates through the upper portion of the porous, hydrophilic oxidant flow field plates and enters the oxidant flow channels, where it evaporates as the water trickles downward through the oxidant flow field channels, thereby cooling the fuel cell.

Hybrid bipolar plate for evaporatively cooled fuel cells

An example method of securing a bond film to a fuel cell component includes positioning the bond film adjacent the fuel cell component and melting the bond film using thermal energy from an injection molded seal.

Fuel cell plate bonding method and arrangement

Ejectors () are configured to receive fresh fuel gas at the motive inlet () and to receive fuel recycle gas at the suction inlet (). Each ejector is disposed either a) within a fuel inlet/outlet manifold () or adjacent to and integral with the fuel inlet/outlet manifold. The ejector draws fuel recycle gas directly from the fuel outlet manifold and, after mixing with fresh fuel, is expanded () to lower the pressure and is then fed directly into the fuel inlet manifold (). The ejector may be within an external manifold () or an internal manifold (). The ejector () may be formed of perforations clear through a plate (), which is closed on either side by other plates (), or the ejector may be formed by suitable sculpture of fuel cells () having internal fuel inlet () and fuel outlet () manifolds.

Growing community of inventors

Vernon, CT, United States of America

Christopher John Carnevale