초록 ▼

An improved electrochemical polymer electrolyte membrane cell stack is provided that includes one or more individual fuel cell cassettes, each fuel cell cassette having at least one membrane electrode assembly, fuel flow field and oxidant flow field. Within each fuel cell cassette, each membrane ele

An improved electrochemical polymer electrolyte membrane cell stack is provided that includes one or more individual fuel cell cassettes, each fuel cell cassette having at least one membrane electrode assembly, fuel flow field and oxidant flow field. Within each fuel cell cassette, each membrane electrode assembly has at least one manifold opening for the passage of reactant manifolds through the cassette, all of which are bonded about the perimeter by a sealant, and each flow field has at least one manifold opening and any manifold openings on the flow fields which do not correspond to a manifold providing reactant for distribution to such flow field is bonded about its perimeter by a sealant. Each fuel cell cassette may also contain other typical components of a electrochemical polymer electrolyte membrane cell stack, such as separator plates or coolant flow fields, which also have manifold openings which may or may not be bonded about the perimeter. The membrane electrode assembly, flow fields, and other components are encapsulated along the peripheral edges by a resin such that the entire periphery of the fuel cell cassette is encapsulated by the resin.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A fuel cell cassette comprising at least two unit cells, each unit cell comprising:a membrane electrode assembly having at least one membrane electrode assembly manifold opening extending through the thickness thereof wherein each membrane electrode assembly manifold opening is bonded at the peri

1. A fuel cell cassette comprising at least two unit cells, each unit cell comprising:a membrane electrode assembly having at least one membrane electrode assembly manifold opening extending through the thickness thereof wherein each membrane electrode assembly manifold opening is bonded at the perimeter by a first sealant; a fuel flow field having at least one fuel flow field manifold opening extending through the thickness thereof wherein each fuel flow field manifold opening which does not correspond to a manifold providing fuel reactant for distribution to the fuel flow field is bonded at the perimeter by a second sealant; an oxidant flow field having at least one oxidant flow field manifold opening extending through the thickness thereof wherein each oxidant flow field manifold opening which does not correspond to a manifold providing oxidant reactant for distribution to the oxidant flow field is bonded at the perimeter by a third sealant; wherein the membrane electrode assembly, the fuel flow field, and the oxidant flow field are assembled in a stack relative to each other such that the membrane electrode assembly manifold openings, the fuel flow field manifold openings, and the oxidant flow field manifold openings are aligned; wherein the peripheral edges of the membrane electrode assembly, the fuel flow field, and the oxidant flow field are encapsulated together by a resin such that the entire periphery of the fuel cell cassette is encapsulated by the resin; and wherein the resin penetrates porous interstices of each of the membrane electrode assembly, fuel flow field and oxidant flow field, and penetrates spaces separating the membrane electrode assembly, fuel flow field and oxidant flow field about their peripheral edges, impregnating the resin there between. 2. The fuel cell cassette of claim 1 further comprising:a non-porous separator plate having at least one manifold opening extending through the thickness thereof; wherein the membrane electrode assembly, the fuel flow field, the oxidant flow field, and the separator plate are assembled in a stack relative to each other such that the membrane electrode assembly manifold openings, the fuel flow field manifold openings, the oxidant flow field manifold openings, and the separator plate manifold openings are aligned; and wherein the peripheral edges of the membrane electrode assembly, the fuel flow field, the oxidant flow field, and the separator plate are encapsulated together by the resin such that the entire periphery of the fuel cell cassette is encapsulated by the resin; and wherein the resin penetrates porous interstices of each of the membrane electrode assembly, fuel flow field and oxidant flow field, and penetrates spaces separating the membrane electrode assembly, fuel flow field and oxidant flow field about their peripheral edges, impregnating the resin there between. 3. The fuel cell cassette of claim 2 further comprising:a coolant flow field having at least two manifold openings extending through the thickness thereof wherein each coolant flow field manifold opening which does not correspond to a manifold providing coolant for distribution to the coolant flow field is bonded at the perimeter by a fourth sealant; wherein the membrane electrode assembly, the fuel flow field, the oxidant flow field, the separator plate and the coolant flow field are assembled in a stack relative to each other such that the membrane electrode assembly manifold openings, the fuel flow field manifold openings, the oxidant flow field manifold openings, the separator plate manifold openings, and the coolant flow field manifold openings are aligned; and wherein the peripheral edges of the membrane electrode assembly, the fuel flow field, the oxidant flow field, the separator plate, and the coolant flow field are encapsulated together by the resin such that the entire periphery of the fuel cell cassette is encapsulated by the resin; and wherein the resin penetrates porous interstices of each of the membrane electrode assembly, fuel flow field, oxidant flow field and coolant flow field, and penetrates spaces separating the membrane electrode assembly, fuel flow field, oxidant flow field and coolant flow field about their peripheral edges, impregnating the resin there between. 4. The fuel cell cassette of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first sealant, the second sealant, the third sealant and the resin is a thermoset material.5. The fuel cell cassette of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first sealant, the second sealant, the third sealant and the resin is a thermoplastic material.6. The fuel cell cassette of claim 4 wherein the thermoset material is a silicone.7. A fuel cell cassette comprising at least two unit cells, each unit cell comprising:a membrane electrode assembly having at least one manifold opening extending through the thickness thereof, wherein each membrane electrode assembly manifold opening is bonded at the perimeter by a first sealant; a bipolar plate having at least one manifold opening extending through the thickness thereof wherein each bipolar plate manifold opening which does not correspond to a manifold providing reactant for distribution to the bipolar plate is bonded at the perimeter by a second sealant; wherein the membrane electrode assembly, and the bipolar plate are assembled in a stack relative to each other such that the membrane electrode assembly manifold openings, and the bipolar plate manifold openings are aligned; and wherein the periphery of the membrane electrode assembly and the bipolar plate are encapsulated together by a resin such that the entire periphery of the fuel cell cassette is encapsulated by the resin; and wherein the resin penetrates porous interstices of each of the membrane electrode assembly and bipolar plate, and penetrates spaces separating the membrane electrode assembly and bipolar plate about their peripheral edges, impregnating the resin there between. 8. The fuel cell cassette of claim 1 further comprising at least one end plate having openings which align with the manifold openings of the cassette, and a compression means connected to a planar outer surface of the fuel cell cassette.9. The fuel cell cassette of claim 8 wherein one or more of the fuel cell cassettes are assembled in a stacked configuration.10. The fuel cell cassette of claim 7 further comprising at least one end plate having openings which align with the manifold openings of the cassette, and a compression means connected to a planar outer surface of the fuel cell cassette.11. The fuel cell cassette of claim 10 wherein one or more of the fuel cell cassettes are assembled in a stacked configuration.