Abstract: In one aspect, there is disclosed a high temperature composite insulation assembly for a fuel cell that includes a core portion having inner and outer surfaces. A temperature stable sealant is disposed on the outer surface of the core portion forming a gas retaining mechanically robust insulation assembly. In another aspect, there is disclosed a high temperature composite insulation assembly for a fuel cell that includes a core portion having inner and outer surfaces, and a reinforcing material disposed on the outer surface of the core portion. A temperature stable sealant is disposed on the outer surface of the core portion forming a gas retaining mechanically robust insulation assembly. In another aspect, there is disclosed a high temperature composite insulation assembly for a fuel cell that includes a core portion having inner and outer surfaces and a high temperature refractory material disposed on the inner surface of the core portion.

Abstract: The oxidant inlets of the reactant gas flow field grooves (41) of a fuel cell (11) which suffers a crossover between the fuel and oxidant flow fields, due to a leak in the seals, the maxtrix or the membrane of the fuel cell, are blocked with a liquid (50) which cures in place, hot glue, two-part epoxy, or fluoroelastomers. This prevents heating as a result of combusting fuel with oxygen near the site, which avoids excessive heating and damaging of successive fuel cells. As a result, a fuel cell power plant (8) can continue to operate with only a minor loss of voltage and power, thereby avoiding the need to tear down the stack by loosening the tie-bolts. Voltage and hydrogen levels may be used to detect the crossover. The particular cell (11) with the leak can be determined by voltage or hydrogen monitoring, or by immersing the stack in a liquid while applying gas to the fuel inlet of the stack.

Abstract: Provided is a fuel battery module and a fuel battery device which achieve improved power generation efficiency. The fuel battery module is configured by housing a cell stack (4) configured by arranging plural fuel battery cells (3) in a power generation chamber (29) of a housing container (2). The housing container (2) is provided with, between a side portion thereof along the arrangement direction of the fuel battery cells (3) and an outer wall (22) of the housing container (2) facing the side portion, a first channel (26) for flowing reactive gas supplied from the lower side of the housing container (2) upward, a second channel (27) for flowing the reactive gas which has flowed to the upper side through the first channel (26) downward and supplying the reactive gas into the power generation chamber (29), and a third channel (28) for flowing exhaust gas in the power generation chamber (29) from the upper to the lower side, which is provided between the first channel (26) and the second channel (27).

Abstract: A system and method for delivering an input fluid stream through a fuel cell stack and discharge an unused fluid stream is provided. An inlet of the fuel cell stack is adapted to receive the fluid stream. An ejector is configured to combine the supply fluid stream and the unused fluid stream to generate the input fluid stream and control the flow of the input fluid stream to the fuel cell stack. A blower is configured to control the flow of the unused fluid stream to the ejector. A bypass valve is configured to control the flow of the unused fluid stream to the blower and to the ejector.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for operating a direct oxidation fuel cell in which at least one fluid fuel is transported from a fuel reservoir via a fluid distribution structure to a membrane electrode assembly, the transport of the fuel being effected passively, i.e. without convection. Furthermore, the invention relates to a corresponding direct oxidation fuel cell.

Abstract: Provided are a fuel cell with a porous gas diffusion layer having a flow channel and a method for manufacturing the same. A metal separator without a flow channel is used, but a flow channel for providing a reaction gas is formed in a gas diffusion layer made of a porous material. This improves precision of stack manufacturing and allows free design of the cooling part. The gas diffusion layer is made of a porous metal material so as to maximize electrical transfer efficiency and improve endurance against physical stress.

Abstract: A fuel cell includes a plurality of power generation cells each having a first separator. The separator has a fuel gas flow field. A fuel gas supply passage extends through one corner of the power generation cell in the stacking direction, a fuel gas flowing through the fuel gas supply passage into a fuel gas flow field. An inlet buffer is provided upstream of the fuel gas flow field. The fuel gas supply passage and the inlet buffer are connected by a plurality of inlet connection grooves. The inlet connection grooves are inclined from a direction perpendicular to a wall surface of the fuel gas supply passage toward the center of the fuel gas flow field.

Abstract: In a fuel cell unit, oxygen electrodes are disposed on both face sides of a fuel electrode. The fuel electrode has a diffusion layer and a catalyst layer on both faces of a current collector, and each of the oxygen electrodes has a diffusion layer and a catalyst layer on the faces opposed to the fuel electrode of the current collector. A fuel/electrolyte channel for passing a fluid containing a fuel and an electrolyte is provided between the fuel electrode and each of the oxygen electrodes. The fuel and the electrolyte are supplied to both faces of the one fuel electrode, so that a reaction occurs and power is obtained between the fuel electrode and each of the oxygen electrodes.

Abstract: A flow control valve for a fuel cell that has particular application for controlling the flow of cathode air through a cathode flow channel of the fuel cell. The valve includes an element that controls the flow through the flow channel in response to changes in the voltage potential of the fuel cell. The valve includes a shape memory alloy wire and a flow control element secured to both ends of the shape memory alloy wire. The ends of the wire are also coupled to the anode and cathode of the fuel cell. When no current is flowing through the wire, the flow control element holds the wire in a pre-strained condition. If the voltage generated by the fuel cell increases, the current passing through the wire will heat the wire and cause it to shrink or contract which forces the flow control element into the flow path.

Abstract: A fuel cell system including a gas recycling and re-pressurizing assembly. In one embodiment, the fuel cell system includes a fuel cell stack, the stack having an oxygen outlet and an oxygen inlet. The fuel cell system additionally includes two gas/water separator tanks, each of the tanks containing a quantity of water and a quantity of oxygen gas. Both tanks are capable of being fluidly connected to either the oxygen inlet or the oxygen outlet of the fuel cell stack. In addition, the two tanks are connected to one another so that water may be transferred back and forth between the two tanks. The system also includes a pump for transferring water back and forth between the tanks. In use, water is pumped from one of the tanks to the other until all of the oxygen gas present within the water-receiving tank is forced out of that tank and is conducted back to the oxygen inlet of the fuel cell stack.

Abstract: An electrode for a fuel cell includes a gas diffusion layer contacting with a separator having a channel and a catalyst layer interposed between the gas diffusion layer and an electrolyte membrane. The catalyst layer of the electrode has two portions with different hydrophilicities. A portion of the catalyst layer that faces a channel has a higher hydrophilicity than a portion that does not face a channel. This electrode may control hydrophilicity of the catalyst layer differently according to locations, so it is possible to keep an amount of moisture in an electrode in a suitable way, thereby improving the performance of the cell.

Abstract: In a fuel cell structure having an assembly of an electrolyte layer and an electrode formed on the electrolyte layer, a gas separator 25 is laminated on the electrolyte layer and the electrode and forms, in combination with the electrode, a gas flow path to make a flow of a reactive gas that is subjected to an electrochemical reaction. A first water guide element is provided between the electrode and the gas separator 25 and is arranged to enable migration of water from and to the electrode and to continuously guide water in an electrode plane direction. A gas outlet 68 is open at one end of the gas flow path to be at least partly overlapped with one end of the first water guide element and discharges the flow of the reactive gas from the gas flow path. The gas outlet 68 is designed to have a higher flow resistance of the reactive gas than a flow resistance in the gas flow path. This arrangement effectively improves the water discharge efficiency from the gas flow path formed in the fuel cell structure.

Abstract: A fuel cell includes plural single cells and first sidewalls disposed on the outer side of a cell stack including the plural single cells. In the first sidewalls, holes for supplying the reactive gas to the cell stack are formed. The single cells are disposed in a row shape along a jetting direction of the reactive gas jetted from the holes. The holes are formed such that a part of the reactive gas jetted from the holes brushes against at least the single cells disposed in positions closest to the first sidewalls and the remaining part of the reactive gas does not brush against the single cells disposed in the closest positions.

Abstract: A fuel cell module including a fuel cell stack which includes a cathode compartment having cathode conduit extending from an inlet thereof. The cathode conduit conveys a fluid to at least one cathode positioned in the cathode compartment. An anode compartment having a fuel inlet conduit extending from an inlet of the anode compartment, supplies fuel to at least one anode positioned in the anode compartment. An anode exhaust conduit extends from an outlet of the anode compartment, for conveying an anode exhaust fluid. The fuel cell stack is positioned in an enclosure which as has a passage extending therethrough. At least a portion of the passage is in fluid communication with the anode exhaust conduit. The fuel cell module includes a diverter device having at least a portion thereof positioned in the passage and/or the anode exhaust conduit.

Abstract: A fuel cell stack is provided having a plurality of unit cells stacked in a horizontal direction. Each unit cell includes an electrolyte membrane having two surfaces and a peripheral edge, electrodes provided on both surfaces of the electrolyte membrane, frame-shaped members provided on both surfaces of the electrolyte membrane adjacent to the respective electrodes and adjacent the peripheral edge of the electrolyte membrane, separators provided on the electrodes and the frame-shaped members and having a reactant gas passage for supplying a reactant gas to each of the electrodes, and a manifold formed in the stacking direction in fluid communication with the reactant gas passage. The manifold includes a horizontal edge portion in fluid communication with the reactant gas passage.

Abstract: An oxygen-containing gas flow field for supplying an oxygen-containing gas from an oxygen-containing gas supply passage to an oxygen-containing gas discharge passage is formed on a first metal plate. The oxygen-containing gas flow field includes oxygen-containing gas flow grooves as serpentine flow grooves having two turn regions T1, T2. The oxygen-containing gas flow grooves have substantially the same length. The oxygen-containing gas flow grooves are connected to an inlet buffer and an outlet buffer at opposite ends. The inlet buffer and the outlet buffer have a substantially triangular shape, and are substantially symmetrical with each other.

Abstract: A fuel cell assembly includes a fuel cell, a fuel cell housing, and a diaphragm. The fuel cell housing includes an endwall and an inlet port extending through said endwall. The inlet port is for admitting a breath sample into the housing. The diaphragm is coupled within the housing such that a cavity is defined between the housing and the diaphragm. The fuel cell is positioned within the cavity and is substantially concentrically aligned with respect to the inlet port.

Abstract: A fuel cell system that provides a flow of anode exhaust gas into the cathode side of the fuel cells without allowing the anode exhaust gas flow and the cathode input flow to mix in a large volume. In one embodiment, strategically positioned perforations in the MEAs allow the anode exhaust gas to cross over to the cathode channels near the cathode input. These perforations could be provided as an array of small holes in an MEA sub-gasket or an MEA carrier frame. In an alternate embodiment, openings are provided through the bipolar plates that allow the anode exhaust to flow into the cathode channels. This configuration would require a special anode half-plate at one end of the stack to provide the opening.

Abstract: A unit cell of a fuel cell includes a membrane electrode assembly and an anode side metal separator and a cathode side metal separator sandwiching the membrane electrode assembly. A plurality of first supply holes and a plurality of second supply holes extend through a channel unit of the anode side metal separator, and the channel unit connects a fuel gas supply passage and a fuel gas flow field. A fuel gas from the fuel gas supply passage flows into the first supply holes, and flows through an inlet connection channel. The fuel gas flows into the second supply holes connected to an end of the inlet connection channel. The fuel gas flows toward the side of the membrane electrode assembly, and then, the fuel gas is supplied to an anode.

Abstract: A fuel cell stack includes a plurality of power generation cells stacked in a direction of gravity. In a cathode side separator of the power generation cell, an oxygen-containing gas discharge passage is connected to an oxygen-containing gas flow field, and a water guide member is provided for the oxygen-containing gas discharge passage for allowing condensed water to be directly dropped in the direction of gravity along the oxygen-containing gas discharge passage. The water guide member is a plate member protruding into the oxygen-containing gas discharge passage and inclined toward the direction of gravity.