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A plate for a fuel cell has an arrangement of ribs defining an improved configuration of process gas channels and slots on a surface of the plate which provide a modified serpentine gas flow pattern across the plate surface. The channels are generally linear and arranged parallel to one another whil

A plate for a fuel cell has an arrangement of ribs defining an improved configuration of process gas channels and slots on a surface of the plate which provide a modified serpentine gas flow pattern across the plate surface. The channels are generally linear and arranged parallel to one another while the spaced slots allow cross channel flow of process gas in a staggered fashion which creates a plurality of generally mini-serpentine flow paths extending transverse to the longitudinal gas flow along the channels. Adjacent pairs of the channels are interconnected to one another in flow communication. Also, a bipolar plate has the aforementioned process gas channel configuration on one surface and another configuration on the opposite surface. In the other configuration, there are not slots and the gas flow channels have a generally serpentine configuration.

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In an electrochemical fuel cell including a pair of plates with one plate having fuel gas flow defining means formed therein and the other plate having oxidant gas flow defining means formed therein, an anode electrode and a cathode electrode disposed between said plates and an electrolyte matrix sa

In an electrochemical fuel cell including a pair of plates with one plate having fuel gas flow defining means formed therein and the other plate having oxidant gas flow defining means formed therein, an anode electrode and a cathode electrode disposed between said plates and an electrolyte matrix sandwiched between said anode and cathode electrodes, at least one of said fuel and oxidant gas flow defining means comprising: (a) a first group of ribs defining a first group of gas flow channels, said channels at the ame one of their opposite ends being open at a first edge of said plate and at the same other of their opposite ends being connected together in flow communication in adjacent pairs, said ribs having formed therein a first group of spaced slots which interconnect and provide flow communication between adjacent channels; (b) a second group of ribs defining a second group of gas flow channels, said channels being connected together in flow communication in adjacent pairs at their respective opposite ends, said rib having formed therein a second group of spaced slots which interconnect and provide flow communication between adjacent channels; and (c) a third group of ribs defining a third group of gas flow channels, said channels at the same one of their opposite ends being open at a second edge of said plate and at the same other of their opposite ends being connected together in flow communication in adjacent pairs, said ribs having formed therein a third group of spaced slots which interconnect and provide flow communication between adjacent channels; (d) said second group of ribs and channels being disposed between said first and third groups thereof with said slots in one of said ribs of said first and third groups thereof interconnecting and providing flow communication between respective adjacent channels in said first and second groups thereof and said second and third groups thereof.