Porous coolant tube holder for fuel cell stack

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 surface facing said matrix layer and a second surface facing away from said matrix layer, said second surface including ribs which define grooves therebetween extending across said substrate for carrying reactant gas during cell operation, said cooler assembly comprising a gas porous, graphitized, resin bonded, carbon fiber tube holder having first and second oppositely facing surfaces and a gas impervious graphite plate having first and second oppositely facing surfaces, said first surface of said plate being contiguous with said second surface of one of said electrode substrates of said first cell, said second surface of said plate being contiguous with and resin bonded to said first surface of said holder, said second surface of said holder including, a plurality of parallel channels therein extending across the length of said holder, 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 and width which is substantially the same as the outer diameter of said tubes, said second surface of said holder being contiguous with said second surface of an electrode of said second fuel cell, said channels in said holder being parallel to said grooves in said substrate contiguous therewith, said cooler assembly including gas seal means along each edge of said holder parallel to said channels to prevent gas leakage from said holder through said edges.