AIR-COOLED METAL SEPARATOR FOR FUEL CELL AND FUEL CELL STACK USING SAME
Disclosed herein is an air-cooled metal separator that does not need cooling water. The air-cooled metal separator includes a channel section formed in the middle of a metal plate, the channel section including a reaction gas channel depressed into a front surface of the metal plate to protrude from a rear surface thereof and an air channel defined between the reaction gas channels protruding from the rear surface of the metal plate; a first gasket continuously formed along a rim of a front surface of the channel section; and a second gasket discontinuously formed along a rim of a rear surface of the channel section to allow a discontinuous portion of the second gasket to provide a flow passage of air.
1 . An air-cooled metal separator for a fuel cell, comprising:
a channel section formed in a middle of a metal plate, the channel section including a reaction gas channel depressed into a front surface of the metal plate to protrude from a rear surface thereof and an air channel defined between the reaction gas channels protruding from the rear surface of the metal plate;
a first gasket continuously formed along a rim of a front surface of the channel section; and
a second gasket discontinuously formed along a rim of a rear surface of the channel section to allow a discontinuous portion of the second gasket to provide a flow passage of air.
2 . The metal separator of claim 1 , wherein the metal plate is formed at opposite sides thereof with reaction gas manifolds each being formed with an opening, the reaction gas manifolds comprising a reaction gas inflow manifold through which a reaction gas is introduced into the reaction gas channel, and a reaction gas discharge manifold through which the reaction gas is discharged outside from the reaction gas channel.
3 . The metal separator of claim 2 , further comprising:
a third gasket continuously formed along a rim of each of front and rear surfaces of the reaction gas inflow manifold and the reaction gas discharge manifold.
4 . The metal separator of claim 2 , wherein a reaction gas inflow hole is formed between the channel section and the reaction gas inflow manifold, and a reaction gas discharge hole is formed between the channel section and the reaction gas discharge manifold.
5 . The metal separator of claim 2 , wherein each of the reaction gas inflow manifold and the reaction gas discharge manifold is partitioned into a manifold for oxygen gas and a manifold for hydrogen gas.
6 . A fuel cell stack comprising the metal separator of claim 1 and a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) sequentially stacked one above another.
7 . (canceled)
8 . A fuel cell stack comprising the metal separator of claim 2 and a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) sequentially stacked one above another.
9 . A fuel cell stack comprising the metal separator of claim 3 and a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) sequentially stacked one above another.
10 . A fuel cell stack comprising the metal separator of claim 4 and a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) sequentially stacked one above another.
11 . A fuel cell stack comprising the metal separator of claim 5 and a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) sequentially stacked one above another.
12 . A fuel cell stack comprising a separator structure and a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) sequentially stacked one above another, the separator structure comprising two metal separators of claim 1 bonded to each other such that front surfaces or rear surfaces of the metal separators face each other.
13 . A fuel cell stack comprising a separator structure and a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) sequentially stacked one above another, the separator structure comprising two metal separators of claim 2 bonded to each other such that front surfaces or rear surfaces of the metal separators face each other.
14 . A fuel cell stack comprising a separator structure and a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) sequentially stacked one above another, the separator structure comprising two metal separators of claim 3 bonded to each other such that front surfaces or rear surfaces of the metal separators face each other.
15 . A fuel cell stack comprising a separator structure and a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) sequentially stacked one above another, the separator structure comprising two metal separators of claim 4 bonded to each other such that front surfaces or rear surfaces of the metal separators face each other.
16 . A fuel cell stack comprising a separator structure and a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) sequentially stacked one above another, the separator structure comprising two metal separators of claim 5 bonded to each other such that front surfaces or rear surfaces of the metal separators face each other.