US 7,524,574 B2
Membrane electrochemical generator
Daniele Facchi, Rovato (Italy); Eduardo Trifoni, Naples (Italy); Antonino Toro, Mialn (Italy); Luca Merlo, Montorfano (Italy); Matteo Lenardon, Lomazzo (Italy); and Paolo Binelli, Milan (Italy)
Assigned to Nuvera Fuel Cells Europe, S.r.l., Milan (Italy)
Appl. No. 10/512,395
PCT Filed Apr. 23, 2003, PCT No. PCT/EP03/04207
§ 371(c)(1), (2), (4) Date May 25, 2005,
PCT Pub. No. WO03/092091, PCT Pub. Date Nov. 06, 2003.
Claims priority of application No. MI2002A0869 (IT), filed on Apr. 23, 2002.
Prior Publication US 2006/0251948 A1, Nov. 09, 2006
Int. Cl. H01M 2/14 (2006.01); H01M 8/04 (2006.01); H01M 8/10 (2006.01); H01M 2/08 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 429—38  [429/26; 429/32; 429/36] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A membrane electrochemical generator fed with gaseous reactants and comprising a multiplicity of reaction cells (101) mutually connected in series and assembled according to a filter-press type configuration,
each reaction cell (101) being delimited by a pair of conductive bipolar plates (103) with flat faces between which are comprised, proceeding outwards, an ion-exchange membrane (104); a pair of porous electrodes (105); a pair of current collectors/distributors (106) electrically connecting said conductive bipolar plates (103) to said porous electrodes (105),
said bipolar plates (103) having upper openings (108a1, 108a2) and lower openings (108b1, 108b2) obtained on a peripheral portion (108) thereof,
said upper and lower openings (108a1, 108a2; 108b1, 108b2) determining the formation of upper and lower longitudinal ducts (111; 112) which define feeding manifolds for gaseous reactants and discharge manifolds for reaction products and optional residual reactants, respectively,
wherein the said conductive bipolar plates (103) comprise a multiplicity of mutually aligned upper calibrated holes (113a) arranged below said upper openings (108a1, 108a2) and a multiplicity of mutually aligned lower calibrated holes (113b) arranged above said lower openings (108b1, 108b2) for the passage of said gaseous reactants from an adjacent cell and for the discharge of the reaction products and of the optional residual reactants, respectively.