Fuel cell cooler assembly and edge seal means therefor

Claim 1

An electrochemical cell stack comprising first and second fuel cells separated by a cooler assembly, each cell comprising a pair of electrodes spaced apart with a matrix layer disposed therebetween for retaining electrolyte, each electrode including a gas porous substrate having a flat first side facing said matrix layer and a second side facing away from said matrix layer said second side including ribs which define grooves therebetween extending across said substrate for carrying reactant gas during cell operation, said cooler assembly comprising a top and a bottom gas impervious graphite plate, said plates spaced apart with a gas porous, graphitized, resin bonded, carbon fiber tube holder disposed therebetween, each of said plates having first and second oppositely facing surfaces, said holder having a bottom surface contiguous with and resin bonded to said first surface of said bottom plate and a top oppositely facing surface contiguous with said first surface of said top plate, a plurality of parallel channels in said top surface of said holder, said channels extending across the length of said holder and parallel to said grooves in one of said electrodes, said cooler assembly including tubes disposed in said channels and passing through said holder for carrying a coolant into heat exchange relationship with said cells, said channels having a depth which is substantially the same as the full thickness of said holder and as the outer diameter of said tubes, said cooler assembly also including gas seal means disposed between said plates along each edge of said holder parallel to said channels to prevent gas leakage from said holder through said edges.