The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 03, 2015
Filed:
Mar. 15, 2013
GM Global Technology Operations Llc, Detroit, MI (US);
Steven G. Goebel, Victor, NY (US);
Matthew J. Beutel, Webster, NY (US);
Jeffrey A. Rock, Rochester Hills, MI (US);
Robert Thompson, Lockport, NY (US);
Jeff D. Williams, Tonawanda, NY (US);
Steven J. Spencer, Rochester, NY (US);
GM Global Technology Operations LLC, Detroit, MI (US);
Abstract
A fuel cell stack of at least two fuel cells, each fuel cell having a unitized electrode assembly (UEA) including a membrane electrode assembly (MEA), a sub-gasket and gas diffusion media (DM), and positioned between modified stamped field-flow plates. The sub-gasket frames the MEA resulting in an overlap area between the MEA and the inner perimeter of the sub-gasket. The UEA is disposed between a pair of stamped flow-field plates which align in adjacent fuel cells to form a bipolar plate. The bipolar plate has an active region, an overlap region and a seal region. The active region is configured with channel and land features which provide reactant flow channels and coolant passages for the fuel cell. The configuration of features in the overlap region, however, is modified from the configuration in the active region so that the overlap region may sustain sufficient mechanical sealing pressure, and to prevent coolant and reactant bypass without impeding coolant and reactant flow in the active area. Modified channel and land feature configurations for the overlap region are exemplified.