Nuvera Fuel Cells Europe Srl

Gian Piero Fleba

Massimo Brambilla

Gabriele Mazzucchelli

Luca Merlo

Antonio Maggiore

Antonino Toro

Enrico Ramunni

Eduardo Trifoni

Daniele Facchi

Marcello Liotta

Ruben Ornelas Jacobo

Matteo Lenardon

Fabio Traini

Giampaolo Brignoli

Paolo Monzani

Toro Antonino

Rubén Ornelas Jacobo

The present invention relates to a membrane electrochemical generator () formed by a multiplicity of reaction cells () mutually connected in electrical series and assembled according to a bipolar configuration. In accordance with the present invention, the thermal management of the membrane electrochemical generator () and the hydration of the membrane () are ensured by the injection of a cooling fluid, preferably liquid water, in the gaseous reactant feed. Such an injection takes place through a multiplicity of calibrated fluid injection holes () obtained in conductive bipolar plates () delimiting the reaction files (). The cooling fluid can be preheated by passing through a collector/distributor structure () located in an additional cell ().

Membrane electrochemical generator

The method for reusing current collectors/distributors is employed in an electrochemical generator () comprising a multiplicity of elementary cells () assembled in a filter-press configuration and comprising an array of conductive sheets () and of current collectors/distributors (). The method of the invention provides dissembling the electrochemical generator () once the presence of a damaged elementary cell () is detected. Subsequently, the method of the invention provides repairing/replacing the damaged cell for later reassembling the electrochemical generator () reusing the original current collectors/distributors (). to achieve this, while reassembling the electrochemical generator (), a mechanical means for adapting () is inserted between each conducting sheet () and the respective current collector/distributor (). Such mechanical means may consist in metallic meshes, metallic textiles, interwoven fibers, foraminous sheets or expanded sheets, thin sealing gaskets, sealing gaskets provided with sealing rings on a surface thereof, sealing gaskets made of an elastic material with low elasticity modulus.

Method for reusing current collectors/distributors of solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell stacks

An improved design of gas fed polymeric membrane fuel cell stack is herein described. The stack is provided with a humidifying device which takes advantage of the atomization of a water stream over a high specific surface metallic material, and with a cooling circuit withdrawing the heat generated therein by thermal exchange on a peripheral region, external to the single cell active area. The device is particularly suited for high temperature and high current density operation.

Polymeric membrane fuel cell stack

A humidification device for polymeric membrane fuel cell stacks fed with gaseous reactants is disclosed. The gases supplied to the stack are previously fed in admixture with a stream of liquid water to a chamber filled with a reticulated material, whose highly subdivided geometry provides an extended exchange surface favouring the saturation of gas. The device is more efficient and compact than those known in the art.

Humidification device for polymeric membrane fuel cells

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Milan, Italy

Gian Piero Fleba