Power tap device, fuel cell stack, and method of dividing a fuel cell stack
First Claim
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1. A fuel cell stack comprising:
- first and second conductive end plates;
a plurality of bipolar separator plates configured to be stacked between the conductive end plates, the bipolar separator plates respectively having a depth and a height dimension;
a plurality of membrane electrode assemblies each having an anode and a cathode side, and each membrane electrode assembly being configured to be stacked between a pair of bipolar separator plates; and
a power tap device including first and second electrically conductive major outer surfaces and a dielectric layer separating the first electrically conductive major outer surface from the second electrically conductive major outer surface, and wherein the power tap device has a depth and height dimension which generally corresponds to the depth and height dimension of the bipolar separator plates and being configured to be stacked between the conductive end plates with the bipolar separator plates and membrane electrode assemblies, and wherein the power tap device further includes a passageway to direct a source of fuel from one of the separator plates located on one side of the power tap device, to another one of the separator plates located on the other side of the power tap device.
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Abstract
A power tap device for use in a fuel cell stack having a plurality of stackable items including separator plates, and membrane electrode assemblies each having an anode and cathode and configured to be respectively stacked between pairs of separator plates, comprises first and second major outer surfaces, the first major outer surface being electrically conductive, the second major outer surface being electrically conductive; and a dielectric separating the first major outer surface from the second major outer surface, wherein the power tap device is sized and arranged to be interposed between stackable items in the stack.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A fuel cell stack comprising:
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first and second conductive end plates;
a plurality of bipolar separator plates configured to be stacked between the conductive end plates, the bipolar separator plates respectively having a depth and a height dimension;
a plurality of membrane electrode assemblies each having an anode and a cathode side, and each membrane electrode assembly being configured to be stacked between a pair of bipolar separator plates; and
a power tap device including first and second electrically conductive major outer surfaces and a dielectric layer separating the first electrically conductive major outer surface from the second electrically conductive major outer surface, and wherein the power tap device has a depth and height dimension which generally corresponds to the depth and height dimension of the bipolar separator plates and being configured to be stacked between the conductive end plates with the bipolar separator plates and membrane electrode assemblies, and wherein the power tap device further includes a passageway to direct a source of fuel from one of the separator plates located on one side of the power tap device, to another one of the separator plates located on the other side of the power tap device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A fuel cell stack comprising:
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first and second electrically conductive end plates;
a plurality of bipolar separator plates configured to be located in a stacked arrangement therebetween the first and second electrically conductive end plates, and wherein the bipolar separator plates each have a depth and a height dimension;
a plurality of membrane electrode assemblies each having an anode and a cathode side, and each membrane electrode assembly being configured to be located in a stacked arrangement between a pair of bipolar separator plates;
a first power tap device having first and second electrically conductive major outer surfaces and a dielectric layer separating the first electrically conductive major outer surface from the second electrically conductive major outer surface, and wherein the power tap device further has a depth and height dimension which generally corresponds to a depth and height dimension of the bipolar separator plates, and wherein the first power tap device is configured to be stacked between the first and second electrically conductive end plates, and along with the bipolar separator plates and the plurality of membrane electrode assemblies, and wherein the first power tap device further defines a passage to direct a source of fuel from a one of the separator plates located on one side of the first power tap device to another of the separator plates located on the opposite side of the power tap device;
a second power tap device having first and second electrically conductive major outer surfaces and a dielectric layer separating the first electrically conductive major outer surface from the second electrically conductive major outer surface, and wherein the second power tap device has a depth and height dimension which generally corresponds to the depth and height dimensions of the bipolar separator plates, and wherein the second power tap device is configured to be stacked between the first and second electrically conductive end plates along with the plurality of bipolar separator plates and the plurality of membrane electrode assemblies, and wherein the second power tap device defines a passage which directs a source of fuel from one of the bipolar separator plates located on one side of the second power tap device to another of the bipolar separator plates on the opposite side of the second power tap device; and
an ultracapacitor electrically coupled between the first electrically conductive major outer surface of the first power tap devices, and the second electrically conductive major outer surface of the second power tap device. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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Specification