Bipolar plate and fuel cell comprising a bipolar plate of this type

Abstract

The invention relates to a bipolar plate () for a fuel cell (), comprising—an internal coolant flow field (), which comprises a coolant channel (), and—a first and a second flat side () with a first and second reactant flow field () respectively, which has at least one first and second channel structure () respectively, wherein—the first and the second channel structure () each form a trunk channel () and branch channels (), wherein the branch channels () branch off in a branching region () from the respective trunk channel (), and a first intermediate region () is formed between the branch channels () of the first channel structure (), and a second intermediate region () is formed between the branch channels () of the second channel structure (), wherein normal projections of the first and second intermediate region () onto a center plane () of the bipolar plate (), which center plane is arranged between the two flat sides () of the bipolar plate (), partially overlap so that an overlapping region () is formed. It is provided that the coolant channel () extends from an outer region (), which is located outside the first and second intermediate region (), into the overlapping region (), crossing a transit region () in the process, wherein the transit region () is a subregion of the normal projection of the first intermediate region () onto the center plane, which projects from the overlapping region ().