Fuel cell with a direct antifreeze impermeable cooler plate

Abstract

A fuel cell with a direct antifreeze impermeable cooler plate is disclosed for producing electrical energy from reducing fluid and process oxidant reactant streams. The fuel cell includes an electrolyte secured between an anode catalyst and a cathode catalyst; an anode flow field secured adjacent the anode catalyst for directing the reducing fluid to pass adjacent the anode catalyst; a cathode flow field secured adjacent the cathode catalyst for directing the process oxidant stream to pass adjacent the cathode catalyst; a direct antifreeze impermeable cooler plate secured in heat exchange relationship with the cathode flow field; and a direct antifreeze solution passing through the cooler plate for controlling temperature within the fuel cell. The direct antifreeze solution is an organic antifreeze solution that is not volatile at cell operating temperatures. A preferred direct antifreeze solution is an alkanetriol selected from the group consisting of glycerol, butanetriol, and pentanetriol having favorable low volatility and high surface tension characteristics. The direct antifreeze impermeable cooler plate may be constructed of any material that is impermeable to liquid and compatible with a fuel cell operating environment such as plated metals, or in a preferred embodiment, the cooler plate may be a fine pore commercial graphite material.