Isolated and insulated stack end unit inlet/outlet manifold headers
View Patent ↗The present invention isolates the fluid streams flowing into and out of a fuel cell stack from the terminal plates so that the fluid streams and terminal plates do not come into contact with one another. The prevention of the fluid streams from contacting the terminal plate eliminates corrosion concerns associated with the terminal plate. The present invention accomplishes this isolation through the use of headers having fluid passageways therein that route the fluid streams in and/or out of the fuel cell stack while preventing contact between the fluid streams and the terminal plate.
1. A fuel cell assembly comprising:
a plurality of fuel cells arranged adjacent one another and forming a fuel cell stack;
a terminal plate in electrically conductive contact with said fuel cell stack and operable to conduct electrical current from said fuel cell stack, said terminal plate having an opening for transporting a fluid stream to or from said fuel cell stack;
an end plate operable to impose a compressive force on said fuel cell stack, said end plate having an opening therethrough to allow said fluid stream to flow to or from said fuel cell stack;
an insulating plate disposed between said end plate and said terminal plate, said insulating plate electrically isolating said end plate from said terminal plate, said insulating plate having an opening therethrough to allow said fluid stream to flow to or from said fuel cell stack; and
an electrically non-conductive header sealingly engaged with said fuel cell stack and passing through said openings in said terminal plate, said insulating plate, and said end plate, said header having a fluid transport passageway that allows said fluid stream to flow to or from said fuel cell stack through said openings in said terminal plate, said insulating plate, and said end plate,
wherein said header is a component separate and distinct from said terminal plate, said insulating plate, and said end plate, and said header prevents said fluid stream from contacting said terminal plate, said insulating plate, and said end plate.
2. The fuel cell assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a sealing member disposed between said header and said fuel cell stack, said sealing member providing a fluid tight engagement between said header and said fuel cell stack.
3. The fuel cell assembly of claim 2 , wherein said header has a recessed portion within which said sealing member is disposed.
4. The fuel cell assembly of claim 1 , wherein said terminal plate has a plurality of openings to allow a plurality of fluid streams to flow to or from said fuel cell stack, said header passes through said openings in said terminal plate, said header has a plurality of fluid transport passageways that allow said fluid streams to flow to or from said fuel cell stack through said openings in said terminal plates, and said header prevents said fluid streams from contacting said terminal plate.
5. The fuel cell assembly of claim 4 , wherein said header is a single integral component with a plurality of fluid transport passageways.
6. The fuel cell assembly of claim 1 , wherein said header is a polymer.
7. The fuel cell assembly of claim 1 , wherein said header is injection molded.
8. The fuel cell assembly of claim 1 , wherein said opening in said terminal plate, said insulating plate, and said end plate are each one of a plurality of openings that allow a plurality of fluid streams to flow to or from said fuel cell stack, and said header is at least two headers that are each sealing engaged with said fuel cell stack and each pass through at least one of said openings in said terminal plate, said insulating plate, and said end plate, each of said headers having at least one fluid transport passageway that allows a fluid stream to flow to or from said fuel cell stack through an opening in said terminal plate, said insulating plate, and said end plate, and said headers prevent said fluid streams from contacting said terminal plate, said insulating plate, and said end plate.
9. The fuel cell assembly of claim 1 , wherein said header passageway is shaped in a configuration to match a shape of a fluid passageway of said fuel cell stack.
10. The fuel cell assembly of claim 1 , wherein an end of said header passageway is sealingly engaged with a fluid plumbing component.
11. A fuel cell assembly comprising:
a plurality of fuel cells arranged adjacent one another and forming a fuel cell stack;
a terminal plate having a peripheral edge and in electrically conductive contact with said fuel cell stack and operable to conduct electrical current from said fuel cell stack;
an end plate operable to impose a compressive force on said fuel cell stack, said end plate having in opening therethrough to allow a fluid stream to flow to or from said fuel cell stack;
an electrically non-conductive insulating plate having a peripheral edge and disposed between said end plate and said terminal plate, said insulating plate electrically insulating said end plate from said terminal plate; and
an electrically non-conductive header sealingly engaged with said fuel cell stack and with a fluid plumbing component, said header passing through said opening in said end plate and outside of said peripheral edge of said terminal plate, said header having a fluid transport passageway that allows said fluid stream to flow to or from said fuel cell stack through said opening in said end plate,
wherein said header prevents said fluid stream from contacting said terminal plate, said insulator plate, and said end plate.
12. The fuel assembly of claim 11 , further comprising a sealing member disposed between said header and said fuel cell stack, said sealing member providing a fluid tight engagement between said header and said fuel cell stack.
13. The fuel cell assembly of claim 11 , wherein said header is in direct contact with said terminal plate.
14. The fuel cell assembly of claim 11 , wherein said header is a single integral component with a plurality of fluid transport passageways.
15. The fuel cell assembly of claim 11 , wherein said header is a polymer.
16. The fuel cell assembly of claim 11 , wherein said opening in said end plate is one of a plurality of openings that allow a plurality of fluid streams to flow to or from said fuel cell stack, and said header is at least two headers that are each sealing engaged with said fuel cell stack and each passing through at least one of said openings in said end plate, each of said headers having at least one fluid transport passageway that allows a fluid stream to flow to or from said fuel cell stack through an opening in said end plate, and said headers prevent said fluid streams from contacting said terminal plate, said insulator plate and said end plate.
17. The fuel cell assembly of claim 1 , wherein each one of said end plate, said insulating plate, and said terminal plate are separate and distinct components from one another.
18. The fuel cell assembly of claim 1 , wherein said header is a single integral component.
19. The fuel cell assembly of claim 8 , wherein said at least two headers are a single integral component.
20. The fuel cell assembly of claim 11 , wherein said header extends from said end plate to said fuel cell stack outside of said peripheral edge of said insulating plate.
21. The fuel cell assembly of claim 11 , wherein said header is a component separate and distinct from said terminal plate, said insulating plate, and said end plate.
22. The fuel cell assembly of claim 13 , wherein said header is in direct contact with said peripheral edge of said terminal plate.
23. The fuel cell assembly of claim 16 , wherein said at least two headers are a single integral component.
24. A fuel cell assembly comprising:
a plurality of fuel cells arranged adjacent one another and forming a fuel cell stack;
a terminal plate having opposite first and second ends with a length therebetween, said terminal plate in electrically conductive contact with said fuel cell stack and operable to conduct electrical current from said fuel cell stack;
an end plate having opposite first and second ends with a length therebetween, said end plate operable to impose a compressive force on said fuel cell stack, and said end plate having first and second openings therethrough adjacent said first and second ends to allow a fluid stream to flow to or from said fuel cell stack; and
first and second electrically non-conductive headers sealingly engaged with said fuel cell stack, said first and second headers respectively passing through said first and second openings in said end plate, said first and second headers each having a fluid transport passageway that allows said fluid stream to flow to or from said fuel cell stack through said first and second openings in said end plate,
wherein said first and second headers prevent said fluid stream from contacting said terminal plate and said end plate, said terminal plate has an opening therethrough adjacent said first end and aligned with said first opening in said end plate, said first header passes through said first openings in said end plate and said terminal plate while said second header passes along said terminal plate outside of said second end, and said first and second headers are each components separate and distinct from one another and from said end plate and said terminal plate.
25. The fuel cell assembly of claim 24 , further comprising an electrically non-conductive insulating plate having opposite first and second ends and a length therebetween, said insulating plate having an opening adjacent said first end and being disposed between said end plate and said terminal plate with said opening in said insulating plate aligned with said openings in said terminal plate and said end plate, said insulating plate electrically insulating said end plate from said terminal plate, and said first header passing through said openings in said end plate, said insulating plate, and said terminal plate adjacent said first ends.
26. The fuel cell assembly of claim 25 , wherein said second header passes along said insulating plate outside of said second end.
27. The fuel cell assembly of claim 24 , wherein each of said first and second headers has a base with a projection extending outwardly therefrom, said fluid transport passageways extending through said projections and said base, and wherein said first header base has a first thickness, said second header base has a second thickness, and said second thickness is greater than said first thickness.
28. The fuel cell assembly of claim 27 , wherein said second header thickness is substantially equal to a distance between a face of said fuel cell stack sealingly engaged with said second header and a facing surface of said end plate adjacent said second end.
29. The fuel cell assembly of claim 24 , wherein each of said first and second headers comprises a plurality of first headers and a plurality of second headers, said openings in said end plate adjacent said first and second ends are each a plurality of first and second openings, said first headers extend through said first openings in said end plate, said second headers extend through said second openings in said end plate, and each of said headers allows a fluid stream to flow to or from said fuel cell stack through said end plate while preventing said fluid streams from contacting said terminal plate and said end plate.